marco rubio, secretary hegseth as well have been working so hard on this effort. they all really want to see this war come to an end. so just yesterday, sunday, i believe, that was yesterday, they had very good talks with the ukrainians in florida and now of course special envoy witkoff is on his way to russia. this is the shuttle diplomacy you've seen from this administration play out where we've seen equally from both sides, we've put points on paper, those points have been very much refine. i will get the negotiators negotiate. we do feel quite good. we're hopeful that this war will come to an end. steven? reporter: i have a question, a clarification about the immigration changes that are happening. on ukraine, president trump briefly yesterday said that corruption issues there were not helpful to the peace process following the resignation friday of president zelenskyy's top aide. we were told from your podium in the prior administration that,

quote, there's no indication there's been any kind of widespread corruption involving u.s. resources in ukraine. what is the trump's -- trump administration's view on corruption. >> you can watch this program in its entirety if you go to our website, c-span.org. we'll leave it here and take you live to capitol hill. the u.s. house is about to gavel in. this is live coverage on c-span. y chaplain kibben. y chaplain kibben: would you pray with me. god of hope, fill us this day with all joy and peace. lift our minds out of the current disquiet and renew our hearts in the belief that our desires and our contentment are to be found in you and not in anything we devise or which the world designs. by the power of your holy spirit, may we discover the strength available to us when we hope in you. in you our creator we find our source, the wellspring of all

that is good and right. may we establish all our decisions, intentions, and pursuits on your firm foundation. in you our redeemer we find our salvation. the one who delivers us from our trials and inspires us in our weakness. may we trust that you will bring forth the best outcomes from our worst attempts. in you our sustainer, we find our strength and purpose, the power that holds and guys us to serve as instruments of your will. may we abound in the hope you provide. and in serving you these days, in these times, may all that we are and all that we do reveal the joy and peace found only in you. so we pray in the name of the one who is our joy, our peace, and the source of our hope. amen. the speaker pro tempore: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house the approval thereof.

pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, the journal stands approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from california, mr. cisneros. cisneros: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches from each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: mr. speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. last month was national family caregiver month. every day more than 48 million family caregivers provide essential care to loved ones who are aging, ill, or disabled.

as a former health care professional, i have seen these caregivers often go above and beyond to support their families, sacrificing their own time, energy, and well-being to ensure that those that they care for receive the support and the love that they need. family caregivers are often the unsung heros in our communities. many balance care giving with full-time jobs, raising children, and managing their own health. they deserve our support and recognition, which is why i'm proud to support legislation like lowering costs for caregivers act to help ensure these caregivers have the financial resources to continue providing care for their loved ones. mr. speaker, let this month be a reminder of our shared responsibility to support these caregivers who give so much to others. but showing our appreciation and lending a hand where we can we honor the work we do every day. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? mr. wilson: mr. speaker, i ask

unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson: thank you, mr. speaker. as we return from thanksgiving with families and friends, i'm grateful that under the leadership of president donald trump america's beating inflation, leading to lower costs, higher pay, and job creation. the costs for thanksgiving dinner itself decreased by 35%, 16% less for turkey. additionally, the one big one b, beautiful bill is working for american families. inflation has dropped almost half. gas prices are at the lowest level in four years. american families are saving up to $2,100. america has attracted nearly $20 trillion in foreign investment. promises made, promises kept. in conclusion, god bless our troops as the global war on terrorism continues. trump is reinstating peace through strength revealing war criminal putin lies. insulting trump, mocking trump as putin mass murders civilians

across ukraine. as a 31-year national guard member my son and three national guard sons, our sympathy to specialist sarah beckstrome and prayers for andrew wolf. both are american heroes standing for liberty and freedom in our country. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize corson's tree farms in michigan's mount comb county for being selected to provide the 2025 white house christmas tree. mr. mule leonard: under the leadership of rex and jessica, they earned this honor by winning the national christmas tree asocial nation's grand champion title, a recognition that reflects years of

dedication, family tradition, and the highest standards of michigan agriculture. to commemorate this accomplishment this afternoon, i am introducing a resolution congratulating the tree farms. it's been 41 years since a michigan grown christmas tree was displayed in the white house. and bringing this tradition back highlights the strength and quality of michigan's growers. corson's has been recognized before winning michigan's grand champion tree contest and even provide ago tree for the vice president's residential dens -- providing a tree for the vice president's residential. this marks the pinnacle of their work. their family-run operation represents the excellence and tradition that define michigan's growers and exemplify's the first lady's christmas theme, home is where the heart is. i'm grateful to honor 24 achievement -- this achievement and celebrate the role michigan will play in bringing christmas spirit to our nation's capital. thank you, i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. many pursuant to clause 8 of rule torques the chair will postpone further proceed also today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered, or votes objected to under pursuant to clause 6 of dallas 6 rule 20.the house wille proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3174, the made in america manufacturing finance act. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman call up the bill as amended. mr. williams: yes.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 182, h.r. 3174, a bill to increase loan limits for loans made to small manufacturers, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. williams, and the gentleman from california, mr. cisneros, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. williams: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent for that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. williams: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. williams: mr. speaker, i today rise in strong support of my bill, h.r. 3174, the made in america manufacturing act. the ability to manufacture in the united states is vital to our country's economic and national security. however for decades america policies have shipped good-paying manufacturing jobs

overseas and opened the door for foreign adversaries to fill the void. we must reverse this trend which will require more than just luck that. is why the trump administration has been championing pro-growth and pro-american policies that are fueling a domestic manufacturing comeback. now congress can do its job to reverse the trend and support the revitalization of american manufacturing. small american manufacturers account for 98% of u.s. manufacturing companies. like all small businesses access to capital or the appropriate amount of capital is challenging. h.r. 3174 gives small american manufacturers access to capital at a level they need to start to grow their operations. this legislation increases the loan limit for small american manufacturers under the s.b.a.'s 7-a and 504 lending programs. from $5 billion to $10 million. this will provide american manufacturing the capital they need to invest in new technology, higher and grow and create onshore jobs we have lost overseas. h.r. 3174 is essential to keep

pace with demand for capital and bring jobs back to the u.s. two weeks ago the committee on small business heard testimony from the industry and other manufacturing stakeholders about the importance of this bill for small manufacturers across the country looking for growth and reshore their businesses. it's often the case that when congress passes a bill to support an industry, it will come at cost to taxpayers. this is not the case with h.r. 3174 because the s.b.a.'s 7-a and 504 loan programs operate under zero subsidies, meaning zero cost to the taxpayer. the congressional budget office review found any costs would be insignificant in this area. so h.r. 3174 presents congress with a critical opportunity to usher in the golden age of american manufacturing. with that i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 3174 to support made in america, small businesses, and revitalization of the american manufacturing base. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is

recognized. mr. cisneros: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cisneros: mr. speaker, i am grateful for the opportunity to speak as we take up a set of five bipartisan bills that will expand services available to our country's 36 million small businesses. these businesses are crucial to our economy and national security, creating 2/3 of all new jobs, employing half the private sector workforce, and generating almost half of our nation's economic activity. despite forming the bedrock of our local communities, small businesses are increasingly filling uncertain -- feeling uncertain about the future of the country. the small business landscape is littered with obstacles like finding qualified workers, dealing with supply chain disruption, as they adjust to the president's tariff regime and adopting new technologies to stay competitive. these economic head winds make s.b.a. services more important than ever. the bills before us today reflect a months long bipartisan

effort to strengthen the services offered by the s.b.a. and bolster the support for small businesses across the country. these five bills were negotiated in good faith and in the spirit of collaboration. together they help expand access to capital for business essential to our national security, expand the reach of s.b.a.'s office of rural aff affairs, hold fraudsters accountable for exploiting the pandemic relief programs, and modernize the s.b.a.'s i.t. infrastructure. .. these bills are quite simply common sense and would improve opportunities for small businesses across the country. i'm proud to support them. i thank my colleagues for the effort. turns to the first bill, i rise today for h.r. 3174, the made in america manufacturing finance act. small manufacturers account for more than 98% of u.s. manufacturing firms and employee 4. million americans.

we play a critical role in regional economics and maintaining supply chain resilience. there's no doubt that reshoring manufacturing is a top priority. we all live through the pandemic and saw the downside of streamline just in time supply chains. when it comes to industries critical to our economic and national security such as pharmaceuticals and weapon, ensuring the viability of domestic supply chain is paramount. let's all be honest. as a result of the crushing use of tariff, small businesses are clamoring for options in their supply chains that avoid massive and ever changing taxes at points of entry. but a renewed economic focus on making things in the u.s. cannot happen at the snap of a finger. it takes large investments and a longtime horizon. this bill is a way to approach filling the gaps in manufacturing financing. it raises the loan limits for the s.b.a. 7-a from $5 million

to $10 million for small manufacturers. in fact, helping small firms with the upfront capital investment is one of the main goals of the 504 c.d.c. program. there's broad support for increasing loan limits in particular. whether this is a prudent use of the 7-a program is a conversation that is still up for debate and look forward to continuing to work through with our senate counterparts. i support the bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from texas vie meek ised. mr. williams: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 3474 to support american manufacturing and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. cisneros: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. williams: we have no further speakers, i'm prepared to close and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized.

mr. cisneros: thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to close by thanking the chairman for his commitment to working on behalf of small businesses to open up avenues of financing for small businesses hoping to contribute to the reshoring and manufacturing. i support the legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. williams: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3174 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and weather without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. williams: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4491, the s.b.a. inch t. modernization act. the speaker pro tempore: the

clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: yawn calendar 181, h.r. 4491, a bill to require the small business administration to implement certain measures for modernization technology and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas, mr. williams, and the gentleman from california, mr. cisneros, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. williams: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, ordered. mr. williams: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. williams: i rise in support of h.r. 4491, the s.b.a. i.t. modernization introduced by representative cisneros from the great state of california and representative jack from the great state of georgia. the s.b.a. is charged with verifying small business, or certifying small businesses to participate in certain government contract opportunities.

last year the biden-harris s.b.a. sought to implement a new certification portal. unfortunately this portal's lackluster planning creation and rollout left the s.b.a. with a ticking time bomb. the biden administration has failed to unify certification portal will result in delay, errors and cyber security risk, shaking out small businesses from the vital government contracting opportunities. while this committee shared bipartisan concerns with the biden-harris s.b.a. over its rollout plan, our lack -- or lack thereof, former administrator guzman called to listen and the results were damaging. small business were delayed for month, sometimes longer, to get approval from the s.b.a. to compete for governmental contracts. to make matters worse, the s.b.a. allowed businesses to use the new portal without conducting minimal cyber threat.

their informing was put at risk of cyber crime. with the s.b.a. modernization act ensures this will not happen at the s.b.a. again. it requires the s.b.a. to implement the g.a.o.'s recommendations for strong oversight so small businesses can rely on an efficient contract certification system. small businesses shouldn't be held back by government mismanagement. this bipartisan, commonsense bill restores accountability and helps main street focus on what it does best, innovate. i urge my colleagues to support this bill. thank you and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas see remember -- reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized for 20 minutes. mr. cisneros: thank you, mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cisneros: i rise in support of my bill, the s.b.a. i.t. modernization act. i thank the chairman for his support. i i would like to thank representative jack for joining me in introducing this bill which will go a long way toward

helping s.b.a. modernize and support small businesses. billions of dollars in federal contracts are awarded to small businesses every year and s.b.a. plays a vital role in promoting small business war pissation. other the year, the s.b.a.'s outdate and inefficient systems have made it harder for entrepreneurs to access what they need. after repeated unsuccessful attempts to develop and deploy a platform than would be a one-stop shop for contracting certification, the committee asked the g.a.o. why they named report identified critical gaps from risk management to cyber security and budgeting. my bill directly addresses these issues. it mandates a clear plan of action and ensuring congress is kept in the loop. this means better oversight, better execution and most importantly better services by the s.b.a. for all small businesses. an efficient and fully

operational i.t. platform is critical for the s.b.a. to conduct certifications that allow for so many small businesses to participate in the federal marketplace. the s.b.a. modernization reporting act will ensure the s.b.a. addresses the root causes that lead to i.t. projects to fall behind schedule, increasing costs and outright fail. i'm grateful for the parties -- for the partnership with representative jack to introduce this commonsense, bipartisan legislation, which shows that modernizing how the s.b.a. works is not a partisan issue. together we can ensure the s.b.a. is prepared to meat the evolving needs of small businesses. i urge my colleagues to support this bill, to ensure we give the s.b.a. the modern tools it needs to support the success of america's small businesses. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. williams: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. cisneros: i have no further speakers and am prepared to

close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. cisneros: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. oh. i'd like to close by once again thanking my colleague, representative jack, for partnering with me on this important legislation. by bolstering s.b.a.'s i.t. infrastructure we can improve services to small businesses an open doors toes how to of new entrants in the federal marketplace. i encourage my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. williams: i urge my colleagues to support is this commonsense legislation to protect the s.b.a. and small businesses alike. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 4491. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is

pass and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. williams: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4495, the s.b.a. fraud enforcement extension act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 184, h.r. 4495. a bill to extend the statute of limitations for fraud under certain pandemic programs and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. williams, and the gentleman from california, mr. cisneros, each will control 20 minutes. this chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. williams: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. williams: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. williams: i rise in support of h.r. 4495, a companion piece

of legislation to s. 199 introduced by senatorrerness. h.r. 4495 is bipartisan legislation introduced by representative downing from the great state of montana, and representative conway from the great state of new jersey. for four years the biden administration's s.b.a. fayed address over $2 billion in covid-19 era fraud. h.r. 4495 extends the soon to expire statute of limitations for two pandemic era relief program, the shuttered venue operation grants and the restaurant revitalization fund. the statute of limitations is set to expire this december. these two programs combined provided over $44 billion in grants and funding for small businesses in the pandemic. unfortunately, fraudsters stole covid relief funds from small businesses across the country and these fraudsters hope the statute of limitations for their crimes will pass, allowing them to skirt justice.

as congress we can't let this happen. american taxpayer dollars should be protecteddal all costs in. the 117th congress we took similar action to extend the statute of limitations under the paycheck protection program and covid idle funds program. today we have the chance to close this final loophole so the fraudsters do not get away with defrauding the american taxpayers and entrepreneurs. this legislation sends a clear message that the era of taking advantage of the american tax payer is simply over. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 4495 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized for 20 minutes. mr. cisneros: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cisneros: i rise in support of h.r. 4495, the fraud enforcement extension act. this bill builds off the work done by ranking member vasquez in a previous congress. that bill extended the statute of limitations for investigating

fraud in the p.p.p. and e.i.d.l. programs. because of this bill the major pandemic relief program, including the shuttered venues grant program and restaurant revitalization fund will have extended statute of limitations from five years to 10 years. passing this bill into law will send a strong message to fraudsters that their behavior will not be tolerated and those who committed fraud will be held accountable in the years to come. the pandemic upended regular s.b.a. operations and the agency executed 14 years of lending and 14 -- in 14 days to keep small businesses afloat. while these programs help millions of small businesses, the implementation was not without its flaws. as we know -- as we now know, potential fraud could range from $36 billion up to $200 billion. while the exact number will never be known we know that the vast majority of that fraud came in the first nine months under the first trump administration. recognizing the potential for fraud, the biden administration instituted strong upfront

controls for r.r.f. and svog. to date the office of inspector general's work has resulted in changes -- charges against 25 individuals, 14 criminal convictions and more than $61 million in recoveries. now the o.i.g. has 31 open oirf cases and 61 other cases. while modest in numbers they are layered transactions involving financial concealment. these cases will take time to investigate and prosecute and we owe it to the experts doing the work to give them the tools they need but extending the statute of limitations is only part of the equation. we must provide full funding to the office of the inspector general so that they have the resources to root out the fraud. moreover, we need to ensure proper staffing at the s.b.a. to review the 1,892 active svog

awards totaling over $3.2 billion. this legislation is a step in the right direction and i want to commend mr. downing and mr. conway for leading this effort. we need to make sure that no one gets away with fraud simply because the clock ran out. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. williams: i yield to representative downing from the great state of montana for such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana is recognized. mr. downing: when well-intentioned federal programs are defrauded by criminal bad actors, taxpayer dollars are wasted and funding for businesses and individuals in need of this vital support is squandered and stolen. over the course of the covid pandemic, the small business administration carried out an extensive effort channeling funding to small businesses facing unprecedented economic

challenges. in total, s.b.a. provided over $1.2 trillion in emergency loans and grants during this period. while covid era s.b.a. programs in many cases delivered much needed emergency aid to small businesses, these programs were sometimes exploited by criminals seeking to defraud american taxpayers and illegally secure illegitimate loans and grants. according to a 2023 report from the s.b.a.'s office of the inspector general, s.b.a. distributed over $200 billion in potentially fraudulent funds in its covid era programs. this level of fraud undermines the integrity of the s.b.a. it is essential that we track these criminal fraudsters down and hold them bible for their actions. two of these s.b.a. covid era programs, the restaurant revitalization fund and shuttered venue operators grant directed financial assistance towards small businesses that were disproportionately harmed by lockdown policies due to their relines on confined

gathering spaces. the statute of limitations for prosecuting fraud within these programs is set to expire beginning early next year. if congress does not act, law enforcement will not have the necessary time to investigate and prosecute these crimes. this is why i introduced with my colleague, representative conyahweh, h.r. 4495, the s.b.a. fraud enforcement extension act. this bill extends the statute of limitation from five years to 10 years for fraud with respect to s.b.a.'s restaurant revitalization fund and the shuttered van hollen view operation. this will provide time for law enforcement to track down criminals who have fee dee frauded the u.s. government and hold them accountable. small businesses across our country including in my home district of central and eastern montana deserve an s.b.a. that efficiently supports local job creators and isn't undercut by fraud. i'd like to thank my colleague for co-leading this legislation.

the fraudulent spending of federal taxpayer dollars undermines our trust in the government the it is essential that law enforcement is given the proper tools, time, and authority to punish those who subvert the integrity of the s.b.a. programs and ensure that fraudsters face consequences for their actions. with in a i urge -- with that i urge my colleagues to support this legislation. i yield my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana yields. the gentleman from texas. mr. williams: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized mr. cisneros: mr. speaker, i yield to the gentleman from the great state of new jersey, dr. conaway for two minutes. mr. conaway: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 4495, the s.p.a. fraud enforcement extension act. i'm the co-lead of this legislation along with my friend and colleague and fellow air force veteran representative downing. during the code pandemic more than 30 million small businesses were negatively impacted.

the federal government took action to ensure that and precedented amount of money flowed into small businesses in the former of grants and loans in order to help them stay afloat. over the course of 18 months, the s.b.a. administered four major programs which delivered $22.1 million in loans, and $1.2 trillion in grants. all those these loans were provide -- although these loans did provide much needed relief to numerous small businesses throughout the united states, there are many who illegally obtained these loans. at an s.b.a. issued report entitled, protecting the integrity of pandemic relief programs, there are estimates that $36 billion of the $1.2 trillion in pandemic relief emergency funds, were obtained illegally. h.r. 4495 would extend the civil and criminal statute of limitations for violations of or conspiracy to violate fraud related to the shuttered venue operators grant and the restaurant see re-vitalization

fund. to ensure small businesses can receive the benefits they deserve, important that the s.b.a. is properly funded and staffed. i am concerned that the cut in the s.b.a.'s workforce by 43% will impede the s.b.a.'s ability to recover the improper and illegally obtained payments. having said that, i urge all my colleagues to support this very important legislation and thank my colleague, representative downing, for allowing me to lead this important piece of legislation with him. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized mr. cisneros: mr. speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mr. williams: we have no further speakers. i'm prepared to close. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. cisneros: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers and am proceed to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cisneros: i would like to close by thanking dr. conaway and mr. downing and chairman

williams for their work on ensuring taxpayer funds are protected from fraudsters. this is a commonsense measure to rebuild public trust. i encourage my colleagues to vote yes. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields. the gentleman from texas is recognized mr. williams: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation. we cannot let fraudsters get away with american taxpayer dollars. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4495. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. williams:mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4549, the office of rural affairs enhancement act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number

183, h.r. 4549, a bill to amend the small business act to clarify the responsibilities of the office of rural affairs of the small business administration, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. williams, and the gentleman from california, mr. cisneros, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. williams: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. williams: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. williams: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 4549, the office of rural affairs enhancement act. this bill was introduced by representative goodlander from the great state of new hampshire, representative we'd from the great state of wisconsin and representative golden from the great state of maine. 46 million americans live in rural communities. the small business of rural america has distinct and persist tent challenges such as the

shortage of business assistance resources and limited access to capital. these challenges often hinder their growth and sustainability. the s.b.a. office of rural affairs was created to serve our rural entrepreneurs. however it is often under utilized and thus ineffective. this bill addresses the challenges by clarifying the critical responsibilities the office of rural affairs and qualifications for leadership to prioritize the rural communities. this bill ensures that the office will be utilized to each rural entrepreneur where they are, and anywhere in main street america. these efforts will strengthen local networks and equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge and support necessary for long-term growth. so, h.r. 4549 is about investing in the future of rural america, creating jobs, and ensures resources reach all businesses across america. i want to thank representative goodlander and golden for introducing this bipartisan slayings. i urge my colleagues to support

h.r. 4549. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized for 20 minutes. mr. cisneros: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cisneros: i rise in support of this commonsense legislation to enhance the office of rural affairs at the s.b.a. i commend mr. goodlander, mr. golden, and their commitment for making this office more effective for rural small businesses. rural small businesses are powerful drivers of economic growth across the united states. fueling the agricultural, tourism, manufacturing, and energy sectors. unfortunately, they receive disproportionately fewer s.b.a. loans and resources than their urban counterparts and face greater challenges including access to affordable capital, reliable internet access, and access to talented. created in 1990 the office of rural affairs in the s.b.a. could play a key role in helping small businesses overcome these challenges. throughout its existence the

office has neither be dorment or! ert of a regional administrator. a 2020 an acting director was named. and 2021 a full-time director was stood up. it this would ensure the assistant administrator meets certain qualifications and requires the office to host webinar and outreach events. with clear lines of communication in the outreach and that will come from the office, small businesses will be able to access resource that is should be readily available to them. i would like to once again thank mr. goodlander, mr. wied, and mr. golden for their bipartisan efforts on behalf of america's rural small businesses. i edge courage my colleagues to support this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. williams: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. cisneros: mr. speaker, i yield to the gentlelady from the great state of new hampshire,

ms. goodlander, for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from wisconsin is recognized for two minutes -- new hampshire is recognized for two minutes. ms. goodlander: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm proud to rise today and join my colleagues from really across america in support of what is a commonsense, bipartisan bill, h.r. 4549. a bill that will deliver a fair deal for america's rural small businesses and entrepreneurs. by cutting red tape, delivering access to key federal resources, ensuring experience and accountable representation and leadership within our government. a bill that will ensure the voices of rural america aren't just heard, but are truly prioritized within our government. run ago small business, it's really an act of faith. it's hard work, oven brutally hard work, and it's extraordinarily important work because rural small businesses are the beating hearts of

community across america and in every corner of my home state, new hampshire. they are the backbone of our economy. as i have worked alongside, as i lensenned to and learned from -- listened to and learned from rural small businesses across new hampshire. from the family farmers of our north congress, and from the loggers of our upper valley to the small businesses of the soehegan valley, i have heard again and again the programs designed to help them are riddled with red tape, impossible to access, and the rules of the road are simply not written with the realities of rural america in mind. the challenges and the opportunities. that's not right and it's our job as lawmakers to correct it. in 199 o, congress created the office of rural affairs within the small business administration. to tackle this problem. as we have seen over the past 35

years, the office is underperforming. it lacks experience and accountable leadership. the red tape is still very much there for the cutting. our bill is going to address itself to these gaps in the law. it's going to require a senior leader with real experience in rural economic development to be at the helm and accountable to congress and the american people. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. ms. goodlander: thank you. mr. cisneros: i yield two more minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for an additional two minutes. ms. goodlander: with that exmr. speaker, i urge my colleagues across this body and nation to come together to deliver for our rural small businesses. they are the backbone of our economy, they are the fabric of american life, and this bipartisan bill, the office of rural affairs enhancement act, is going to go a long way to delivering for them. with that i thank you, i yield back.

i. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new hampshire yields back. the gentleman from california. mr. cisneros: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. williams: mr. speaker, we have no further speakers. i'm prepared to close. i reserve the balance of my t time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. cisneros: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cisneros: thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to once again thank my colleagues, ms. goodlander, mr. wied, and mr. golden for their bipartisan efforts to pass this legislation. by strengthening the office of rural affairs, we can ensure all small businesses have adequate access to the resources at their disposal. i encourage my colleagues to vote yes on this bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. williams: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislative -- legislation to support rural small businesses. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. from texas yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4549.

so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspend, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. for what purpose for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. williams: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 2066, the investing in all of america act, as amend. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar 185, h.r. 2066, a bill to amend the sexual miz act to exclude from limits small enterprises located in rural or he-income areas and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. williams, and the gentleman from texas, mr.-- from california, mr. cisneros, each

will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. williams: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous attorney the bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. williams: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. williams: i rise in support of h.r. 2066, the investing in all of america act of 2025, introduced by representatives meuser of pennsylvania and scholten of michigan. one of the most significant barriers to economic growth is the lack of access to capital for small businesses including invest 789 opportunities. some regions and industries are plush with investment, too many small businesses struggle to attract the investment capital they need to help them grow. so investing in all of the -- so the investing in all america act strengthens one of the most effective public-private

partnerships the s.b.a. has to offer. it as the of turning promising small business into household names without spend anything taxpayer dollars. by unleashing nearly $200 billion in private capital this bill would extend tuns for small manufactures, rural communities and businesses critical tour national security. it means more job, greater motivation and innovation and stronger economy. this commonsense solution rewards hard work and fuels private investment into small businesses across america without new spending or more red tape. i ask my colleagues to support this bill for main street america, driving capital back into the hands of small business owners where it belongs. so thank you and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized for 0 minutes. mr. cisneros: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. cisneros: i rise in support of h.r. 2066, the investing in all of america act, small business investment company, sbic's are an essential part of the small business leading ecosystem. thunder rule, s.b.a. works with private institutions to provide investment in small companies. unfortunately due to constraints investors are often limited in their ability to participate in the program when focusing on rural or underserved community, small businesses important to national security. due to their nature, these small businesses operating in the krill call sector need institutional investors with longer term time horizons to raise capital. that's why this bill makes statutory improvements to provide sbic's access to additional leverage when they invest in these businesses. providing sbic's with additional leverage, flexible will ensure

the capital needs of small businesses and our critical technology sectors are met by the sbic program. this will enable the s.b.a. and d.o.d. to implement their joint small business investment company critical technology initiative. in addition, this bill provides an another avenue to provide small businesses in rural and underserved communities, something lenders and spoilmakers have repeatedly fallen short on. this additional bonus leverage will encourage more investment in communities that need it most. i want to applaud representative meuser and scholten for leading this bipartisan effort and thank chairman williams and his team for the collaboration on this bill. i encourage my colleagues to vote yes and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. williams: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i yield two representative meuser from the great state of pennsylvania such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: thank you, mr.

speaker. i want to thank our chairman very much for yielding and for our leadership. mr. speaker, i rise in support of my legislation, h.r. 2066, the investing in all of america act of 2025. this legislation will incentivize greater investment from small business investment company, sbic's, to small businesses located in rural or low-income areas as well as small businesses and manufacturing, national security technology sector. sbic's are privately own and managed investment funds that are licensed and regulated by the s.b.a. these companies raise private capital which is then matched with additional leverage by the s.b.a., capped at $175 million. sbic's then invest both their private capital and s.b.a. leverage into small businesses and communities across the country. importantly, the sbic program operates at zero subsidy cost to the american taxpayer. over the last five years, sbic's have invested over $130 billion

in small businesses across america, including $1.3 billion in my home state of pennsylvania. pennsylvania small businesses. though the sbic program is successful, recent study have had shown that less than 20% of sbic investment reaches low to middle income community, particularly rural communities. investment in all of america act encourages additional private investment in parts of america that are often overlooked by not counting similars -- dollars invested in these areas against individual sbic's leverage cap. by creating this incentive, my bill will increase investment for these underserved, currently underserved communities. it is important to note that the bonus leverage included in this legislation does not change the cost or risks of the sbic program. the existing model operates at no cost to the tax pairer and will remain the same. so the trump administration, the s.b.a. administrator, kelly

loeffler are focused on fueling small business growth and reinvigorating domestic manufacturing throughout the united states. this legislation supports that effort by encouraging increased private investment in the manufacturing seconder by expanding access to capital and reducing barriers to entry this legislation helps manufacturers scale operations and create high quality american jobs. i would like to thank representative scholten for her continued partnership as well as the other support from the democrat leadership on this legislation. and the bipartisan group of all member, republican and democrat, who have co-sponsored it. this legislation will have tangible, positive impacts on our communities. i encourage my colleagues again to support passage of this important piece of legislation and i thank you and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania yields. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. williams: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized.

mr. cisneros: i have no further speakers, i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cisneros: i want to close by once again thanking mr. meuser and ms. scholten for their leadership on this bill and their efforts to extend additional capital to rural and underserved entrepreneurs and the critical technology industry. i'm pleased to support this bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same itch yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. williams: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support this common sense legislation and increase access to capital for america's small business and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2066 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4323 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number

299, h.r. 4323, a bill to provide for the vacating of certain convictions and expungement of certain arrests of victims of human trafficking. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from south carolina, mr. fry and the gentleman from maryland, mr. raskin, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from south carolina. mr. fry: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks an insert extraneous material on h.r. 323. the speaker pro tempore: without objection so ordered. mr. fry: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. fry: h.r. 4323, the trafficking survivors of leaf act is a strong, bipartisan piece of legislation and bicameral, actually that will help one of our most vulnerable populations. this legislation passed the house judiciary committee by a voice vote earlier this year and i'm looking forward to seeing it pass the full house. human trafficking is a heinous crime that we are all too familiar with.

human trafficking is not just a distant problem. it's a crisis that touches every corner of our nation, rural community, urban centers, it can occur anywhere, in any community and it does not discriminate. traffickers exploit the vulnerable wherever they may find them. we see it happen to the vast number of women and children who are exploited after crossing our southern border. we see it happen to people from both low-income and high-income backgrounds. we see it happen in ordinary meshes. people who never imagined that they would become victims themselves. efforts by federal, state and local law enforcement and advocates to eliminate trafficking and support victims have increased awareness, reporting and prosecution of sex traffickers across the country. however, victims of these crimes are sometimes prosecuted for their actions taken while under the control of their traffickers. this can lead to the arrest, conviction, and incarceration of actual trafficking victims themselves without proper

consideration of their criminal culpability. we know that criminal convictions an even nonenvironment ones can hole someone back from applying for a job, getting housing, these victims deserve to be able to heal and move on from their lives. thankfully, we have made significant progress to help survivors. today the vast majority of state, in fact, i think 46 or 47, have some sort of relief to victims for nonviolent offenses, committed while under the criminal of their traffickers. these laws allow individuals to re-enter their communities, and move on with their lives. in my home state of south carolina, we continue to lead on this forward-looking victim-centered approach of the trafficking survivors relief act follows the state's clear lead and provides he re-leaf to survivors of human trafficking who committed a nonviolent offense as a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking. for a court to grant this relief a defendant must show the offense was committed as a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking.

to ensure these opportunities are only available to true victims of trafficking and not criminal, we worked hand in hand with law enforcement to include appropriate safeguards in the bill. this legislation allows for additional evidence to be considered including the sworn testimony of a law enforcement officer as to whether a victim had any role in coercing other victims to enter criminal offenses. this legislation is endorsed by multiple advocacy organization, faith-based organizations and law enforcement officials. it really has tied -- we have a bipartisan, bicameral legislation that unites organization, it's a good piece of legislation. there are countless individuals anding or nee -- organizations that worked tirelessly to get this bill where it is today, including cpac's committee, right for girl, screen grace, survivor leader holly nadal and so many more. last congress a bipartisan group of attorneys general wrote a let

for the strong support of the trafficking survivors relief act. this carefully crafted legislation strikes the right balance in protecting victims' rights and public safety. let's work together to fight back against this evil and help victims and survivors begin a new chapter and allow them to take on every opportunity that life hands them without any constraint of their past. i encourage all my colleagues to support the trafficking survivors relief act and i encourage swift passage in the senate. i reserve the balance of my t time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina reserves. the gentleman from maryland is recognized for 20 minutes. mr. raskin: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. raskin: i thank the gentleman for his leadership on this issue. i am pleased we are considering the bipartisan trafficking survivors relief act which will provide relief to victims and survivors of human trafficking who have been unjustly criminalized as a result of their trafficking.

victims and survivors of human trafficking have been waiting nearly a decade for us to make this relief available to them at the federal level. the heroic survivors of the global epstein trafficking conspiracy have raised the conscience of the nation about the nightmarish consequences of human trafficking for the victims of it. and they strongly support this legislation which is part of the long overdue reckoning that america must have with all of the double standards and coverups that have affected women and girls who have been entered into the trafficking criminal underworld. while we've found far too less times to operate as congress, we brought this consensus bill to the floor to protect trafficking

survivors. human trafficking is a multibillion industry that takes the will of millions around the world every year. traffickers force their victims to provide labor, commercial sex through coercion, fear and manipulation and their exploitation doesn't stop there. obvious traffickers force their victims to commit other crimes including prostitution, money laundrying, fraud, drug trafficking and left and leads victims to be arrested and prosecuted without consideration of their status as victims themselves. then they are often made to serve prison sentences and left with criminal records that can stop them from finding employment or suitable housing or qualifying to receive the treatment they need to recover from trauma and rebuild their lives. when they're unable to start

fresh or move on because of the obstacles they face as a consequence of the crimes they were forced to commit, victims and survivors often return to their traffickers or fall victim to new predators. we cannot allow this cycle of trauma, criminal exploitation, and victimization to continue in the lives of so many untold victims. while all but three states now allow trafficking survivors some form of criminal record relief, there's still no federal pathway to clear records in this situation. h.r. 4323 would correct this inequity by allowing human trafficking victims to petition to have their convictions vacated for certain offenses and expunges their arrest records for other offenses if the events were committed only as a consequence of their trafficking. this bill would provide an avenue of relief for victims and

survivors facing prosecution for certain federal offenses relating to their victimization by establishing a human trafficking related defense. the defense will be available as a post conviction remedy and to ensure survivors have access to all the remedies provided, this bill makes clear a grantee may use grant funds from the office of justice programs and office of violence against women for legal representation for post conviction relief. for far too long we've closed our eyes to the true horrors of human trafficking and allowed victimization to fester simply by allowing survivors of human trafficking to be classified and treated as criminals. i'm pleased to support this essential and thoughtful bipartisan bill and i urge my colleagues to support it. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland reserves. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. fry: mr. speaker, i have no more speakers on the bill and am prepared to close if the gentleman from maryland is

prepared. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. raskin: i recognize the distinguished gentlelady from georgia, representative mcbath, the ranking member of the justice subcommittee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from georgia is recognized for two minutes. mrs. mcbath: i thank you. the trafficking survivors relief act is critical bipartisan legislation that would provide long overdue relief to victims and survivors of human trafficking to help them overcome the lasting effects of being trafficked and allow them a chance to heal. it recognizes their unique traumas, the immense challenges they face after escaping their exploitation and are able to rebuild their lives with dignity and respect. victims are coerced and demeaned by the traffickers who don't see

them as people but objects only to be bought, sold and abused but we see them and must give them the help they need and deserve. too often they emerge with criminal records directly tied to their exploitation. these records follow them along their path long after they are free, preventing them from finding a job, securing safe housing, pursuing education or even getting treatment for the trauma they've escaped. the barriers they face as a result of their records often serve as painful reminders of the abuse they endured and can make survivors vulnerable to even further exploitation. many states including my state of georgia have already passed the laws like trafficking survivors relief act. it's pastime we take similar steps to do this on the federal level. by allowing survivors to expunge arrests or vacate nonviolent

convictions connected to their trafficking, we give them a chance to reclaim their futures and move forward without the weight of their past being used against them. just as we must allow them the ability to shed the lasting remnants of their victimization, we must also provide them with the resources and services they desperately need. survivors need strong and consistent support to stay safe and move forward. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. mr. raskin: i give the gentlelady an additional minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. mcbath: we must keep the enforcement that keeps survivors protected. any cuts risk putting them in harm's way back on the streets and we can't allow that to happen. this bill is about justice, healing, and true restoration.

these are human beings deserving of opportunity, safety, and hope. i urge my colleagues to support putting survivors first and support this bipartisan legislation. i thank representatives fry and johnson for championing this effort. i look forward to torquing together -- to working together and to thrive. i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady cannot reserve. does the gentlelady yield back. mr. raskin: she yields back and we reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. fry: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. raskin: we have no further speakers and would like to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman may close. mr. raskin: to pick up the words of the gentlelady on the

subcommittee of justice. to be forced into a human trafficking network like the epstein network is to suffer a double trauma. there's the original trauma of the exploitation and abuse and then there's the added trauma of being stigmatizeed as yourself being a criminal, prostitute or forced to engage in activity by the network. and on a bipartisan way here we are able to give relief to those surviving human trafficking. i'd like to recognize the survivors of the global epstein trafficking conspiracy who have raised the conscious of the country and changed america's

find about the fundamental importance of addressing this and want to thank my colleagues for working with us on bringing this legislation forward and happy to yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland yields. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. fry: thank you, mr. speaker. i find myself in this moment on h.r. 4323, the trafficking survivors relief act, in somewhat of a deja vu. i did this legislation at the state level and talked to victims of human trafficking and those who have used this legal mechanism as a sense of relief to expunge their crimes, to get their crimes of prior convictions vacated, to apply for housing, to go on with their life in a very meaningful way. and what they would share with me is what i'll share with you today, is this absolutely matters to them, being able to turn the page on their past is not easy for victims of human

trafficking to come forward and there's shame in doing so and extreme guilt. so when they get that chance to do that, this is an incredibly important step. here's the caveat i think is often underlooked. law enforcement loves this bill, too. why is that? because during a prosecution of a criminal defendant who is a trafficking victim or within a conviction of a human trafficking victim, victims are allowed to tell their story. so, one, it's very therapeutic and helpful to the victim themselves. but for the law enforcement itself they can go after the bad actors. that's the key crux of this bill and what unites republicans and democrats and the law enforcement and community organizations, it's a complete piece of public policy that's worked so well in 48 states at this point and there's no reason why the federal government anymore should lag behind the states in calving a -- calving a

very good -- crafting a very good piece of legislation. it checks all the boxes of good public policy and urge my colleagues to support it and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4323 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the bill is suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. roy: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2159 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 98, h.r. 2159, a bill to direct the attorney general of the

united states to submit to the conga report on federal criminal offenses and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. roy, and the gentlewoman from georgia, mrs. mcbath, will control 20 minutes p. the speaker recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. roy: i ask unanimous consent all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on h.r. 2159. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. roy: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. roy: mr. speaker, first of all, i want to thank the gentlelady from georgia for joining with me in this effort. i'd like to thank the minority leader for his past work on this bill as well. from his position on on the judiciary committee like the gentlelady from georgia. we may come at these things from slightly different perspective on issues that come before us but we're bound together and joined together here on wanting some commonsense good government to make sure we know what we're

dealing with respect respect to criminal laws. because for decades the american people, congress and corners of the federal government have tried to crack a reliable estimate of how many criminal laws exist either in statute or regulation. in the 1980s, the department of justice tried to count the number of federal criminal laws that reside within the code and estimated there are, quote, about 3,000 criminal offenses. the american bar association came in in the 1990's said it was higher than 3,000 but couldn't figure out the number. in 2019, the u.s. code was estimated to have 5199 federal crimes but again was uncertain. in other words, the department of justice, the american bar association, sources within our government are guessing. to be clear, it's estimated to be houses of criminal offenses many buried in regulatory codes. for context, there are an estimated 300,000 regulations

that carry criminal offenses that can put an american citizen in prison. we can debate the merits, and we would debate the merits no doubt among the members of this body of any particular statute that criminalizes a certain act or any particular regulation that comes with criminal penalties associated with an action. might be something that involves osha or something that involves environmental regulations or might be something else. but there are thousands upon thousands of regulations and statutes and the american people often have no idea they might be in violation of something that would come with a penalty that might include jail time or sufficient fines and so forth. and potentially could become a felon. so this bill is pretty simple. it just directs the federal government, directs the executive branch to count the crimes, to come up with a list of crimes that exist and put those in order and to make sure we know what offenses are attached to those so we can go

through this and make decisions as to whether or not these crimes are duplicative or contradictory or whether they go too far or not far enough. but we feel like the peoples house, for sure, congress in its article 1 function, ought to know how many crimes there are, ought to know what penalties are associated with those crimes so that the american people can know this. with that, i will reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from georgia is recognized for 20 minutes. mrs. mcbath: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank representative roy for his i want to thank representative roe roy for working with me this is a true representation of good governance and what it looks like for bipartisanship. i hope we're able to do this going forward. i do yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. mcbath: i rise today for the sake of an effective criminal justice system the laws in our criminal code, as has been expressed before, have

become outdated and a highway to overcriminallization. we have so many unlawful acts within our criminal code that we don't even know how many criminal laws there are. that is why we need to pass the count the crimes to cut act of 2025. which would mandate the creation of a comprehensive inventory as we have expressed of all federal criminal statutory and regulatory offenses. so i'm really proud to co-lead this common sense and as i said before bipartisan solution that will help us address the pressing issue of overcriminallization. a troubling result of unchecked growth of our federal criminal law. for too long, new federal crimes have been created without a full understanding of what criminal laws already exist. six years ago, policy

organizations estimated that we have over 5,000 corral crimes -- federal crimes. many of which as we stated before are redundant, overly broad or better left to the states or are so obscure that the public has no practical way of knowing that they even exist. in some cases these laws are so vague that they even have a reasonable person who would struggle to understand what conduct is prohibited. this massive and unorganized body of federal criminal law puts well-intentioned law-abiding citizens definitely at risk. legal scholars suggest that every day, americans are may unknowingly violate multiple federal crimes without ever being made aware of it. yet we cannot meaningfully

address the consequences of this bloated system until we fully understand the scope of the problem. over the last few decades, the number of federal criminal offenses dramatically increased to more than 5,000, and that figure doesn't even account for the countless additional crimes created by federal regulations. and despite several previous attempts to determine the number of criminal offenses that currently are on the books, the fact is, we still don't even know. the count the crimes to cut act, which i am very proud to co-sponsor, is a necessary first step toward comprehensive, data-driven reform that truly works. by finally establishing a complete inventory of these offenses, we can effectively evaluate how they are enforced,

understand the intent requirements associated with each one of these laws, and determine where reforms to mens rea standards are necessary. we will also be able to identify redundant or outdated laws that serve no public safety purpose at all. so i ask my colleagues to support this very reasonable bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: i thank the speaker. i thank the gentlelady from georgia for her comments. i would just add, in agreement with her, that as i said before this simply says that the attorney general should provide to us, the people's house and this congress, with a list of all federal crimes in statute and regulation along with pertinent information such as po techable criminal penalty, the mens rea requirement for the offense and the d.o.j. prosecutorial history of the

statute. i thinks the bare minimum we should have at a -- as a body to ensure we're protecting due process and protecting the rights of the american people, while ensuring we have an ordered society. with that, i yield up to five minutes to my good friend from arizona, mr. biggs. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. biggs: i thank the gentleman from. it's i thank you, mr. speaker. the federal government has turned the criminal code into a labyrinth, a maze so bloated and disorganized not even the deform o.j. can tell you how many federal crimes exist. that's why i rise in support of the count the crimes to cut act led by my friend chip roy of texas, representative mcbath, the ranking member on our subcommittee of crime and government surveillance in judiciary and is supported by members of both parties who understand that freedom collapses when the law becomes unknowable. this bill is co-led by staunch conservatives like representative roy and myself,

and our colleagues who occasionally think differently than us, mrs. mcbath and mr. cohen. we disagree on a lot in this chamber but we should all agree that americans should know what conduct is criminal before they're punished for it. the count the crimes to cut act requires the d.o.j. to provide a list of every criminal statute, the elements and the number of prosecutions for each offense. right now we literally cannot tell the american people how many federal crimes exist. i called the congressional research service several years ago because i was interested in this. they said, we have no idea. estimates range from 4,000 statutes to hundreds of thousands of criminalized regulations, but no one actually knows because washington has never bothered to count them. this is the very definition of overcriminallization. vague laws, hidden law, duplicative laws and regulatory crimes that nobody could

reasonably expect an ordinary citizen to find or understand. the federal code has grown so bloated that a person can unknowingly violate a regulation they've never heard of. and the government can still throw the book at them. even former harvard university professor harvey silver says the average american commit there's felonies a day without knowing it. he wasn't referring to violent felonies like murder or felonies like money laundering, fraud, but instead to those vague hidden due flicktive and sometimes down right silly laws. i have other pending legislation, the end endless criminal statutes act to repeal 10 unnecessary criminal offenses such as selling or possessing colored oleo margarine or colored margarine unless they're packaged, labeled or served in a try angular shape. that's far from the only silly law on the book.

it's illegal to use a falconry bird in a movie not about falconry. to leave the country with too many nickels in your pockets. here's the deal. we have too many laws. too many crimes. when the federal criminal code becomes a weapon instead of a guide it is always the most vulnerable, the poor, the small business own, the persons who don't have a legal team on retainer who gets crushed first. overcriminalization is one of the most destructive niches modern federal leviathan. we can restore liberty, shrink and -- we cannot restore liberty or protect due process unless we find the scope of the problem and that's what this bill attempts to do. aisle pleased to be a sponsor. i'm proud to associate with my co-sponsors mr. roy, mrs. mcbath, mr. cohen and others. this is very simple, mr. speaker. if you believe in liberty, vote yes on h.r. 2159. if you believe the government

should be accountable to the people, vote yes on 215 t. if you believe americans deserve to know the laws that could put them bind bar, vote yes on h.r. 2159. it's bipartisan, commonsense, long overdue and i strongly urge my colleagues to support the count the crimes to cut act. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves the gentlewoman from georgia is recognized. mrs. mcbath: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield five minutes to our constitutional scholar and ranking member of judiciary committee, representative jamie raskin. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized for five mines. mr. raskin: thank you very much, mrs. mcbath, thank you. thanks also to mr. roy for his leadership on this and mr. biggs. i rise in strong support of this bipartisan legislation. the founders thought that federal law would be strictly limbed in two different ways. one, according to the subject matter, and two, according to number. the subject matter of federal

criminal law requires that the conduct being proscribed be deathered to a particular federal jurisdiction nexus like interference with federal interstate commerce. or assault on a federal officer. in doing his or her couth. or seditious conspiracy against the union. which is why the vast majority of crimes are prosecuted at the local level. assault. murder. armed robbery. theft. so on. but federal law would also be limited, the founders thought, according to number. because the federal criminal laws would be organized certain specific principles forbidding criminal conduct that is clearly harmful. attorney. as my colleagues have said, what we've seen is the endless

proliferation of criminal offenses, some of them statutory, some regulatory. often times in a kind of political reaction to a particular event. that might have been criminal already under a more general category. well, this legislation will allow us to get on top of the problem. it will direct the department of justice and other federal agencies to compile a comprehensive report describing every federal statutory and regulatory criminal offense carrying penalties, and these have grown substantially over the last four decades. see despite several previous attempts by the office of legal policy at d.o.j., the american bar association and several scholars to determine exactly how many federal obviouses there are. there's simply not a single comprehensive accounting of federal criminal offenses to be found anywhere in the federal government.

that's a pretty remarkable statement in itself. through the bipartisan count the crimes to cut act of 2025, congress and the people will finally get an inventory of all federal statutory and regulatory criminal offenses. thanks to this bill we'll know the specific elements of each offense, the potential criminal penalties, the mens rea requirement, and the number of prosecutions that have taken place each year for the preceding year for every listed offense. now what's the danger of having too many criminal offenses? some people may just say let's leap sleeping dogs lie. what's the problem with having a proliferation of offenses that may be opaque, inscrutable, obscure and duplicative? one danger is that the citizen doesn't know what kind of conduct and behavior is actually expected of him or her. that leaves the citizen in a state of confusion and potential

anxiety. the other major danger is an unscrupulous executive will use this nearly endless arsenal of criminal offenses to target political foes or vulnerable communities. and you know, in a free society, anything that is not specifically prohibited is allowed to you. that's what it means to live in a free society. in an authoritarian society anything that is not specifically allowed to the population is considered prohibited. and a danger to the government. well, the proliferation of endless criminal offenses moves us down that spectrum from bag free society much closer to an authoritarian society. we all have a right to know exactly what the corral law entails at the federal level. i thank you for yielding and i yield back to the gentlelady from georgia. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields. the gentlelady from georgia is recognized. mrs. mcbath: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: i don't have a whole lot more to add, i associate myself with the remarks of all of my colleagues who have spoken on this matter. i would only add that i think it's important to note that this legislation is supported by the due process institute, r street, right on crime, as well as the national district attorney's association and the national criminal defense attorney's association which i think tells you what's going on here. and that everybody would like to have some clarity and some transparency so we can have commonsense understanding of our criminal laws and the extent to which they impacted the gentleman from maryland wisely noted, our civil liberties and the extent to which we're made awear of what actions we take might be criminalized. i would note as james madison said in federalist 61, when

fundamental principle of representative government and the importance of accessible and understandable law, quote, it will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice network laws be so voluminous they cannot be read. or so incoherent that they cannot be understood. if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated or undergo such incessant changes that no man who know what is the law is today, can guess what it will be tomorrow. that is preprecisely the situation we find ourselves in and we should fix ■it and we may have, again, as i said before, some disagreements as to what should be criminalized or not and priest congresses have decided to criminalize some action that today we might take a second look at but i do believe that we need to know. and have the debate. and be able to allow the subcommittee upon which my colleagues and judiciary colleagues serve, to review these. we can have open debate and make decisions.

some of these should be sunset. some should be align. maybe there so i come together in good faith with my colleagues across the aisle and hope my colleagues in the chamber will support it and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from georgia is recognized. mrs. mcbath: i yield to mr. cohen of tennessee. mr. cohen i i got on this last spring and chip roy and i have served on the committee for a while and i respect your intellect and hope you get to be attorney general of texas and i think it would be great for you and texas as well. but i would miss you on working on the act article 1 bill. we agreed to work on that as a legislative check on executive,

article 1, on executive actions and something we may be able to bring up next year though i think it was more popular in certain places when president biden was the president but still an important bill. this is a commonsense bill. it's bipartisan. and i'm happy to be co-sponsor and look forward to everybody -- the gentlelady from south carolina, the lady from colorado, the gentleman from illinois and all others who have been highlighted in the legislation and vote on unanimous passage and i yield back my time. mrs. mcbath: i reserve my time. from roy: i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from georgia is recognized. mrs. mcbath: i have no more speakers and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for her close. mrs. mcbath: we cannot have federal reform of criminal laws

without first passing and implementing the crimes to cut act. this bill, it's not about simply making lists, it's about creating the tools that we need for precise data-driven reform. with concrete data, we can determine exactly which reforms are needed and remove speculation from the process. and avoid unintentional, unnecessary mistakes that could arise from a sweeping one-size- fits-all approach. and i might say in the era we're in right now, there seems to be a lot of mistrust in our communities with law enforcement. we need to be building those relationships, building community, and i think this piece of legislation helps to really expedite that kind of community driven policing and helping, making sure people feel safe and secure in their

communities. so i thank congressman roy for his leadership on this legislation which would help eliminate duplicative laws and allow us to better serve and focus on the true threats to public safety, which are always a top priority of mine. i urge all my colleagues to support this long overdue piece of legislation. it's bipartisan. it's a bipartisan measure that really puts common sense and accountability first. thank you for your support on this piece of legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from georgia yields. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: i thank the gentlelady from georgia and thank the gentlelady from tennessee for his kind remarks and the gentleman from maryland on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and my friend from arizona. i want to thank the judiciary committee chairman jordan and thank the ranking member from maryland we've already engaged with and all my colleagues who worked on this and the judiciary

committee. it's not a long or major piece of legislation. i tend to think that speaks well of it. i think the shorter the bill the better. i do believe this is an important step. but i do want to remind my colleagues it's just a step. i would hope we get swift action out of the executive branch in following this legislation if we're to get it through the senate and get it signed so we could make an understanding of what's happening with respect to our criminal laws and regulations and then act on it as congress on a bipartisan -- in a bipartisan fashion. again, we'll have reasonable debate over some of the matters but let's act on it and do some things. i agree with the gentleman we need to revisit article 1 and i introduced it in the first trump administration the first time and had it during the biden administration. i want to revisit that and hope the aomf repeal in 2002 will be a loued to stay in the nada and

shouldn't have a authorization of military force continuing to be under use and hope we in the house will reclaim those portions of congressional authority. and i think this is an important step. it's critically important for due process. i hope my colleagues in the chamber will support it and urge its swift passage and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2159 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 176 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar 17, h.r. 176, a bill to amend the immigration and nationality act with respect to aliens who carried out, participated in, planned, financed, supported, or otherwise facilitated the attacks against israel. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. mr. mcclintock, and the gentleman from maryland q mr. raskin, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: i ask unanimous

consent all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on h.r. 176. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcclintock: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcclintock: though our opinions are vast there are things we come together on in this body and we certainly did so in the last session and one was an enduring opposition to hamas and the terrorism unleashed on innocent civilians in israel more than two years ago. early this year the barbaric inhumanity of hamas were revealed again in the massachusetts kolb and in-- macabre and infuriating spectacle of returning the bebes family and we last saw her alive as she was ceased and terrified and sobbing and begging for the lives of her two little boys and

they were dragged in and their murdered bodies were treated as trophy and learned her body had been substituted for another. we all came together in this body last year and said such monsters as these must never be admitted to our country, never given safe haven on our soil and never tolerated where they are found. h.r. 176 says anyone associated with make haas or palestinian islamic jihad in any capacity or anyone who assisted these terrorist activities in any form won't be allowed in this territory under any circumstances and will be immediately removed if we do find them here and under no circumstances will we allow them to receive any immigration benefit under our laws. we single out nazi collaborators and p.l.o. terrorists and this

simply adds hamas and the islam he can jihad to that -- islamic jihad to that list. for reasons i find unexplainable the senate could not take up this bill in the last session and hopefully will find the time in session. under current law being a member of hamas or associated with its barbaric act against israel is not a explicit ground of admissibility or removability and that's not good enough. anyone who gave them support in any form should never be allowed into this country. during the biden years the number of known or suspected terrorists encountered at the southwest border soared to nearly 400. too many were allowed in this country and two of the two million gotaways were there is anybody's guess and how many more of the 90,000 afghans allowed into this country with minimal or no vetting is also

anybody's guess. we found out last week one is far too many. under the biden administration, hamas terrorists didn't have to sneak in across the border, president biden simply let them in through the front door. it's one example, less than two months ago federal officials arrested a 33-year-old native of gaza who is living in lafayette, louisiana, for his alleged involvement in hamas' attack against israel october 7. after learning about the ongoing hamas attack, the alleged terrorist gathered a group of fighters and stormed into israel to join the ehud barakism. less than a year later, he submitted a visa application which the biden administration quickly approved and he was allowed to enter the united states. after the october 7th attacks, director wray warned yous the f.b.i. does not count them to

call on supporters to draw attacks on our own soil, unquote. these words proved to be prophetic. june 1, mohammed shulman attack ed demonstrators marching in boulder, colorado, for release of captives held by hamas and he attacked the peaceful protesters with molotov cocktails resulting in the hospitalization of those who suffered burns and injuries. one of the victims had survived the holocaust. according to the justice department he stated he planned for more than a year and wanted to kill all zionist people and wished they were all dead and would conduct the attack again if had a chance. he was able to enter the united states through the front door, this time with a tourist visa under the biden administration.

this can never be allowed to happen again regardless which party controls the executive branch and while we have a president committed to securing our borders and protecting our communities and restoring the endorsement of our immigration laws, now is the time to act. with that i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. raskin: thank you, madam speaker. the terrorist atrocities committed by hamas on israel october 7 which took the lives of more than 1,200 innocent civilians and the subsequent war of mass destruction in gaza have been nothing less than a catastrophe for humanity. more than 70,000 people have been killed to date including an estimated 20,000 children. hostages kidnapped by hamas were abused, shackled in cages and isolated in underground tunnels, for some cases in more than two

years and many were killed there. according to unicef, the gaza strip is now home to the world's highest concentration of child amputees and more than 80% of buildings in gaza have been damaged or destroyed in the violence. the world breathes a sigh of relief that a tenuous cease-fire was finally reached and all the living hostages were returned home. alas, the cease-fire continues to be breached and violence and suffering continue to afflict the people of the region, including escalating ridge atlantaees signaturer -- vigilantes in the west bank. getting to peace in the region will take hard work of statesmen and states women. it's time to break out of the circular terrorism and look at the problems destabilizing the

region and we must stay united around these goals and committed to the continuation of a strong peace process. in the meantime we must agree to the aims of this bill which passed the house with bipartisan support in the last congress. no one affiliated with hamas nor anyone involved in the horrific lawless attacks of october 7 should be admissible in the united states or eligible for any immigration benefits whatsoever. that's an obvious point of political and moral consensus in our chamber. however, i'm afraid this is however i'm afraid this is another missed tun for us to work across the aisle in bipartisan fashion. this bill is essentially what we call a visa sanctions bill. for decades we have relied on pre-negotiated, bipartisan and bicameral texts for every such visa sanctions bill.

this legislation today, debarts from this bipartisan practice by directly amending the immigration and naturalization act. the i.n.a. to impose visa sanctions. '6" to put in perspective how anomalous this approach is consider our are-ponce -- response to the 9/11 attacks. in the aftermath of that catastrophe we revised our immigration law toover haul significant parts of our immigration system and created the department of homeland security. yet even -- yet even then we didn't amend the immigration and naturalization act to specifically reference events of september 11 or to bar individuals involved in the planning or commission of those outrageous terror attacks from entering our remaining in the united states. the reason for that is plain. the laws that we have in place already bar noncitizens who engage in terrorism or are involved with terrorist organizations from entering the

united states. and for any of those noncitizens who happen to be here, our laws clearly allow us to remove them. and prevent them from obtain anything immigration benefits. these law were designed to apply broadly to any individual or any organization engaged in terrorism without having to specify them by reference to specific historical events or attacks. under sections 212-a-3-b and 237-a-4-b of i.n.a., any noncitizen engaged in any terrorist activity or provided even any material support to terrorists or is a member of representative of a terrorist group or organization that endorses or espouses terrorist activity is presently inadmissible to the united states and is presently deportable. hamas has been designated such a terrorist group since 1997.

so we already plainly have the legal tools to keep any noncitizen involved with hamas as well as any noncitizen who was involved in the horrific terror attacks on october 7 out of this country forever. or to deport them from the united states if they are already somehow here. so this approach is symptomatic of the syndrome we discussed in the last bill of the proliferation of redundant legislation and redundant language simply to make a point. the judiciary committee's standard visa sanctions language, carefully crafted with the majority and minority on both the house and the senate judiciary committees, would allow us to achieve all the aims of this legislation without departing from negotiated sanctions language and amending the i.n.a. in an unprecedented and incongruous way, amending the i.n.a. to oppose visa

sanctions sets a strange and self-defeating precedent where new statutory language becomes necessary every time a new terrorist group or event emerges. nonetheless, we strongly support this legislation today, whose purpose is incontestable and essential. i hope that we can both pass this bill and return to our bipartisan, bicameral practice for dealing with visa sanctions whenever the occasion presents itself. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. mcclintock: the gentleman says the bill is unnecessary because terrorists are already covered under the immigration and nationality act. but this bill creates a new ground of removability and a new ground of inadmissible for aliens who carried out or participated in or planned or financed or afforded material support or otherwise facilitated any of the attacks against israel beginning on october 7.

of 2023. in doing so, the bill treats the atrocities of october 7 on a par with the immigration national act's current treatment of nazi persecution and genocide and torture and extrajudicial killings. does anyone seriously argue that we should repeal the sanctions against persons who aided and abetted the nazis' holocaust? and if not, then why would they oppose extending the same sanctions to the nazis' would-be modern day successors who just two years ago slaughtered more than 1,200 innocent civilians including children and infants and the elderly, because they were jewish. i'm prepared to close when the gentleman is completed and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kale reserves. the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. raskin: thank you, madam

speaker. again, we restate our support for this bill in its purposes. and the only hope that we can return to the traditional visa sanctions method of dealing with particular events. i wonder how this would apply to the case of the c.e.o. of the firm binance who was convicted to jail for taking money from a number of terrorist group aric among them hamas, as part of his, you know, crypto venture he was convict odd violating the bank secrecy act and turning a blind eye to terrorists including hamas, cyber criminals and child abusers, and i'm wondering if the new language

would cover him, he received pardon from president trump. mr. mcclintock: i'm not familiar with the case, i can't comment directly but we have a process for applying the law and appealing the application of the law through a writ of habeas corpus if an individual seeks to contest it. mr. raskin: ok. all right. we have no further speakers and we are prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. raskin: again, madam speaker, we strongly support this legislation. and we need to be doing whatever we can to eliminate terrorist forces and those who are providing critical material support to terrorist forces all over the world which is why i raise the case of the bi

binance c.e.o. recently pardoned by president trump. with that we are prepared to yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. mcclintock: madam speaker, for four devastating years, our nation suffered the largest illegal mass migration in history. for four devastating years we were told the laws had to be changed if we wanted to do anything about it and in the meantime anyone who illegally entered our country could stay in our country and be supported by american taxpayers. as president trump said in this very chamber and proved in his first weeks in office we didn't need new law, we needed a new president. the largest illegal mass migration in history must now be followed by the largest legal deportation and repatriation in history.

but new laws would be helpful to prevent a future joe biden from making a mockery of our sovereign and welcoming the worst criminals on the planet and they would be helpful to bipresident trump the power to expeditiously prevent the same groups from infiltrating our they plague on our communities and attacking our people. this law will stop hamas terrorists and their supporters who perpetrated the most violent attack against innocent civilians since the holocaust from entering our country as we already sanctioned nazi collaborators. and although they're a tiny fraction of those who do our country harm, at least it does that. and to the apologists of the democrat's open border policies who says this unnecessary and covered by other laws on the books, i'd ask just two questions. first, if that were so, where were those laws under joe biden? and second, even if their

argument was true and the legislation was entirely unnecessary, why would they object to sending a strong message around the world that terrorist will get no quarter here. if you have associated with hamas, you are persona non grata in america as you should be in any corner of the world that values peace, justice and human dignity. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 176. as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. mcclintock: i move to suspend the rules and pass s. 616. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill.

the clerk: senate 616, an act to amend title 36, united states code, to revise the federal charterer in foundation of the federal bar association. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock, and the gentleman from maryland, mr. raskin, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on s. 616. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcclintock: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcclintock: i rise in support of s. 616, the foundation oaf federal bar association charter amendments act of 2025. the federal bar association was founded in 1920 as a nonprofit organization. in 1954, congress chartered the federal bar association as a congressionally chartered organization under title 36. the f.b.a. seeks to strengthen

the federal legal system, administration of justice by providing services to federal practitioners of federal judiciary and the public. the f.b.a. serves as a federal legal community by promoting standards of competence and conduct and facilitating the administration of justice. the f.b.a. is also committed to bringing civicking education programs to classrooms across the country. now over the year, it's become necessary for the f.b.a. to update its bylaws and because the f.b.a. is a congressionally chartered organization it takance act of congress to make changes in its charter to permit the f.b.a. to update those bylaws. s. 616 amend the f.b.a. current charter in several days. it removes the requirement for the f.b.a. to be incorporated and domiciled in washington, d.c. it allows the board of directors of choose a location of the principal office.

it specifies that the f.b.a.'s bylaws establish membership requirement, responsibles of the board of directors and the election of officers. it prohibits the director of officer from contributing or participating in political activities. it prohibits loans to moshes employees. and it specifies in the event of disillusion any remaining assets will be distributed as provided by the board of directors. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. raskin: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of s. 616 this foundation of the federal bar association charter amendments act of 2025. i was proud to lead this bill along with our former colleague, congressman steve chabot in the 117th congress when the bill passed the house by unanimous consent. alas it stalled in the senate at that time. i'm delighted to see our colleagues across the capitol

were finally able to come to an agreement this congress and move this important legislation. s. 616 makes technical changes to the foundation of the federal bar association's charter to give them the flexibility it needs to advance its significant mission. in this century the changes made would allow them to pete me needs and priorities of the organization and improve the administration of federal justice for all citizens. i urge my colleagues to support the legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the yell reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. mcclintock: i'm prepared to close when the gentleman from maryland closes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from maryland is recognized to close. mr. raskin: thank you. it's critical for attorneys who practice in the federal judiciary to have the professional support that they need to illuminate the legal issues that they are litigating on. and to advance the interests of their clients the foundation of the federal bar association

provides just that support and it's crucial that the foundation be allowed to grow and to serve our people with flexible. i thank our colleague, senator kennedy and senator whitehouse for working together to finally get this bill across the finish line. i urge our colleagues to support it. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. mcclintock: i encourage adoption of s. 616 and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass s. 616. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 1262, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1262. a bill to amend the federal food, drug and cosmetic act with respect to molecularly target pediatric cancer investigations and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. carter, and the gentlewoman

from michigan, mrs. dingell, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. mr. carter: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the record on the bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. carter: mr. speaker, at this time i yield a very valuable member of the energy and commerce committee, representative bilirakis from florida, three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized for three minutes. mr. bilbray: i thank -- mr. bilirakis: i thank the gentleman. appreciate it very much. i want to rise today. i'm rising in strong support of h.r. 1262, the mikaela naylon gives kids a chance act. led by my friend, the gentleman from texas, congressman mccaul. this piece of legislation is comprised of bipartisan solutions to increased access to

innovative treatments for those living with rare diseases, particularly children and adolescents. 10 years ago, mr. speaker, the idea that we would be able to cure, not just treat, but cure, sickle cell disease sounded like a dream that was too far out of reach. today we are curing sickle cell disease. we are curing spinal muscular atrophy. we are curing heapphilia and -- heapphilia -- himphilia and blood cancers. these cures are just a few of the stockerrys attributable -- success stories attributable to the f.d.a.'s rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program. the p.r.v. program is a powerful intebtive that spurs -- incentive that spurs the development of treatments for rare pediatric diseases, providing a lifeline for patients who require specialized

treatments. i also want to highlight the other provisions in this bill that seek to bolster important components of our health care system. this legislation supports the improvement of the organ procurement and transplantation network by allowing the secretary of h.h.s. to collect member registration fees to support the operation of the optn. this bill also helps secure our medical product supply chain by requiring the f.d.a. to establish an office in a country that has signed the abe ha ram accords. i'm -- abraham accords. i'm appreciative to representatives harshbarger and vargas for their work to facilitate operations between the f.d.a. and regulatory authorities and innovators and abraham accords countries. last but not least this bill also includes the provision championed by representatives dunn and mullin that will ensure

more affordable drugging onses are available -- drug options are available to patients, faster rather than being delayed by unnecessary red tape. mr. speaker, this bill has one of the largest total of bipartisan co-sponsorships of any legislation we'll see this congress. and one of the reasons for that is the tireless work of the patient advocates, they come to our office on a regular basis and tell us their personal stories. it makes such a difference, mr. speaker. this bill now bears the name of one of the heroic kids, mikaela naylon, who passed away earlier this year after battling cancer for nearly six years. may her memory be eternal. i appreciate so very much, she was 16 years old and i'll never forget the videos. throughout her battle, mikaela was a fierce advocate of this

bill to create hope for a cure. not just for herself, but for the thousands of kids around the country who are fighting the same fight. this is a great -- very important bill and i want to get it to the senate as soon as possible so it can become law. i encourage my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from georgia reserves. the lady from michigan is recognized. mrs. dingell: thank you. i yield as much time as he shall consume to the distinguished ranking member of the energy and commerce committee, mr. pallone. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from jersey is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. pallone: thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank the sponsor of this legislation on the democratic side, the gentlewoman from michigan, mrs. dingell. i rise today in support of this legislation, the give kids a chance act. as i said, sponsored by representative dingell and

mccaul. and this bill includes several strong, bipartisan pieces of legislation to help expand access to care for patients with rare diseases and complex medical needs. it increases research and development into rare pediatric diseases, improves regulatory certainty, strengthens the medical product supply chain, and enhances patient access to lower-cost medicines. this bill will help in our efforts to bring new treatments to pediatric patients with more advanced forms of cancer. it also includes important enforcement authority for the food and drug administration to take action against companies that do not conduct required studies for pediatric patients. the bill also includes critical language to clarify f.d.a.'s long-held treatment of drug exclusivity and bring new treatments to patients suffering from rare diseases. it will also allow for disclosure of certain information related to drug formulations, to generic drug manufacturers to bring lower cost medications to patients more quickly.

these provisions all advance our goal of accelerating the development of novel, safe, effective and affordable treatments while improving outcomes for patients. and i'm also pleased that the legislation provides the health resources and services administration or hrsa with the authority to modernize the organ transplant system. this language will allow hrsa to collect fees and distribute them among contractors that support the optn. this system is life-saving for many americans and i'm glad we can continue to support these much-needed reform efforts. now, mr. speaker, this bill also includes important provisions to ensure that our medical product supply chain can be strengthened by working with international partners that believe in both tolerance and respect for every person, as well as advancement of sierns and medicine -- science and medicine. as a whole, this bill is going to make a difference but i continue to believe that additional guardrails are needed for the p.r.v. program to function the way congress intended it to. previous reports from the

government accountability office on the program and continued research from academics show that there's little evidence that incentivizes the products congress intended to help come to market. this is especially concerning as the f.d.a. has induced a new priority review program with potentially massive financial benefits for pharmaceutical companies without any transparency or congressional authorization. that's why i'm pleased that this bill includes a requirement for g.a.o. to conduct a new study and report on the effectiveness of the p.r.v. program in achieving our original intent. now, let us not overstate the impact of this bill, however. while we're working together to advance the bill forward on incremental but important bipartisan legislation to advance both drug discovery and drug affordability, the trump administration continues its devastating attacks on public health, including in cancer research. the trump administration's substantial cuts to research funding for the biomedical community is chilling the

innovation we're trying to promote through this bill. the trump administration is decimating research and endangering the pipeline of new cancer therapies that could come to f.d.a. for approval. and their actions are putting patients at risk and leaving pediatric patients without the treatments we're trying to ensure can be tested and brought to them. meanwhile, the trump administration is using f.d.a. % gifts to drug makers and allies of president trump, undermining the agency's science and space review process and endangering the health of the american public with potentially unsafe and rushed drug reviews. the trump administration is also decimating our vaccine infrastructure, from the programs that cover our vaccines and ensure that patients can afford them, to destroying the pipeline to future vaccines through their identifieslogical sued -- ideological pseudo science agenda. one day i hope my republican colleagues will join us in calling on the trump administration to reverse these terrible policies that are only harming the public health.

but with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey yields. mrs. dingell: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from michigan reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. carter: mr. speaker, i recognize myself for such time as i should consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. carter: mr. speaker, i rise today in strong support of the bipartisan give kids a chance act which supports research and development of drugs for children with cancer and other rare diseases. nearly 70% of rare diseases start in childhood. and most still have no approved treatments. the rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program has been a catalyst for developing therapies for these vulnerable populations. thanks to this program, treatments have reached children suffering from nearly 40 rare diseases. many of which previously had no f.d.a.-approved options and often led to severe disability or death before adulthood. since 2012 the rare pediatric disease, p.r.v., program has

helped bring more than 60 new treatments to market and has driven investment in hundreds of additional therapies for rare pediatric diseases that would otherwise be financially viable. the give kids a chance act restores this critical program, ensuring that we continue to spur innovation, improve outcomes for young patients, and close gaps in pediatric drug research. mr. speaker, i encourage my colleagues to support this bill. mr. speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the qulaid from michigan is recognize -- the lady from michigan is recognized. mrs. dingell: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. dingell: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to share my season toking support for h.r. -- share my strong support for h.r. 1262. i'm proud to co-lead this important, bipartisan legislation alongside representatives michael mccaul, dr. kim schrier and dr. gus

bilirakis. this bill will accelerate pediatric cancer treatments and expand the access to life-saving therapies for children battling rare diseases. it is impossible to fully express the pain and the devastation that a family experiences when their child is diagnosed with cancer. one of the bill's advocates was one that we're all going to talk about, mikaela naylon. a 16-year-old girl in colorado who battled bone cancer. she was a fierce fighter for this bill. she talked to all of us and we all sent videos to her and she unfortunately died on october 30 and her mother told all of us, the sponsors, the co-sponsors of this bill, we gave her reason to live. and she hopes that other children will not die at her age, that this bill will help

save lives. she spoke on the importance of funding cancer research, to be able to help other kids like herself. she was a fighter her entire life. and this life-saving bill has been renamed in her honor. there are too many others facing the fight as mikaela has each year. nearly 16,000 children in just the united states are diagnosed with cancer each year. one in every 285 children in the u.s. will be diagnosed with cancer before they reach 20 years of age. in fact, children compromise as many as half of those living with rare diseases. yet here's the reality for these children. treatment options for children remain extremely limited compared to those for adults.

we know children respond to cancer treatments differently. but there's limited research on how these therapies impact them. we owe our kids better than that. and their families deserve more. we need this bill to offer more children a fighting chance. the give kids a chance act would re-authorize the food and drug administration priority review voucher program to allow pharmaceutical companies to expedite f.d.a. review of more profitable drugs in return for developing treatments for rare pediatric diseases. since 2011,n awarded for 35 different rare pediatric diseases. additionally, thousands of successful drug combinati are bd developed for adults, but not

for kids, not for our children. the give kids a chance act also authorizes the f.d.a. to direct companies to study a combination of cancer drugs and therapies and pediatric trials as well. together, we can show these young children and their families that they are not alone in this fight. i do want to thank the 313 co-sponsors of this bill for their support along with chairman guthrie and ranking member pallone for their assistance and support of this important bill. it's taken too long to get here today, but we're here and let's show the kids in this country that we care. i urge my colleagues to vote yes. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from michigan reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. carter: i would like to recognize the member from texas

announced this will be his last session and stellar career in this august body and led in many ways, many committees and whose career we want to emulate, mr. mccaul. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for texas is recognition -- recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. mccaul: thank chairman guthrie, mr. bilirakis and mr. pallone and chairwoman dingell for your steadfast advocacy for these kids. i can't think of anything more important in my 22 years. as chairman of the childhood cancer caucus, i host a summit for pediatric cancer survivors to rally together around these

precious children. the most precious thing we have and to spread hope to them. each year, i meet a child who impacts me in a very strong way. and this year, i was blessed to get to know this beautiful i don't know woman by the name of mikaela naylon. and i could see she was at the height of her struggles with cancer and took strength for her to come to the summit and believed she was meant to be there and wanted her presence and her voice to help shape our policies and change our world for the better. we got her into a joint clinical trial at m.d. anderson at texas children, but unfortunately, it was too late. three weeks after our summit, she had to be put on a ventilator and she passed away.

as quoom dingell mentioned we sent videos to her to remind her how important she is. on her final moments i reached out to her and told her her story would not be for gotten and her legacy would help thousands of other children. i wanted her to know her impact would outlive all of us. today in her honor, the united states congress will vote on mikaela nayon give kids a chance act. 15 years ago i founded the childhood cancer caucus because children did not have a voice here in washington. we cared about adult treatments but no one was paying attention to the precious children -- called it rare orphan diseases. since then, we have made a

change for the bet. so today is proof of that. put simply, this bill gives kids the same chance to beat cancer that adults already have. right now, thousands of successful drug therapies are being studied for adults but not for children. give kids a chance act authorizes the f.d.a. to direct companies to study those same drugs and therapies in children as well. it will also re-authorize my creating hope act, which created a pediatric review voucher program within the f.d.a. it was the first ever market incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop childhood cancer treatments. prior to that, there were none. since its inception in 2012 rntion 63 vouchers have been

awarded for treatments of at least 39 rare different pediatric diseases, 36 which had no previously approved treatments. these diseases lead to death before a child can reach adulthood. not anymore. a dear friend doctoral ison from m.d. anderson from my home state in texas was able to use this voucher program to obtain for a treatment called cart t immunotherapy. and it has everything to do with the f.d.a. approval forever it. this breakthrough treatment has changed everything. not just for kids with cancer but also for many adults. this bill will keep the successful voucher program going

for another five years fueling more innovation, more hope for children and families who desperately who need it. i thank my friends on the energy and commerce committee who helped me get my bill which i'm not on the committee, helping me get this done. i want to recognize childhood cancer survivors who are in the gallery today with 313 co-sponsors, this bill has the most bipartisan support in congress and that's because there is nothing political about a child with cancer. nothing more important than saving the lives of the next generation. my prayers remain with mikaela's family and honored to have her with us today, her brother and mother and father and thank you for sharing mikaela's beautiful

story. she represents all the children who suffered with this heartbreaking disease and after meeting with them after all these years, these kids are tougher and more resilient than any adults i have ever seen. and they are my biggest inspiration. for many, survive, but many don't and that needs to change. and losing these kids has been the hardest part of my career over 22 years. but today, i am encouraged because mikaela's legacy and all their legacies, those who died and survived this horrible disease, they will live on in this bill forever. you know, mr. speaker, it's rare in this place that you can pass a bill that will end up saving children's lives. i can think of nothing more

important. so with that, i urge my colleagues to do right by our children and pass the mikaela naylon give kids a chance act without delay and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields. the gentleman from georgia. mr. carter: i reserve and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from michigan. mrs. dingell: i am ready to close, too. i thank my colleague that i have been proud to co-chair the caucus with and we know a children who have died but we know that we were able to help and make a commitment to all of the families in the gallery and those you and i have gotten to know, no matter where we are going we are in this fight for the rest of our lives. i'm going to miss my colleague. with that, i yield back my

time. and beg everybody to support this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from michigan yields back. the chair would like to remind members not to refer to persons in the gallery. the gentleman from georgia is recognized to close. mr. carter: i apologize, i do have one other speaker, i would like to recognized the gentleman from california, representative obernolte yes. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. obernolte: i thank my friend for recognizing me. i rise in strong support as both a member of the health subcommittee and proud co-sponsor of h.r. 1262 give kids a chance act. mr. speaker, we live in the most technologically advanced society in the history of human civilization and modern medicine has come up with amazing solutions and cures for many of

the physical ailments that have afflicted humanity. but unfortunately we have many rare pediatric diseases which there is no cure. while we are researching the cures, thousands and thousands of children continue to suffer. we need to give ifer priority, do everything we possibly can to speed the delivery of these treatments for rare pediatric diseases. the give kids a chance act wile re-authorize to speed the research and development of these technologies and innovative treatments and bring them to market and clarifies the f.d.a.'s authority over expediting these therapies and re-authorizes funding for the n.i.h. to develop cures. this bill will help us bring solutions to these thousands of suffering children and i thank

my bipartisan co-sponsors for their hard work on this bill. and i urge this body to pass it this evening and urge its speedy consideration. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields. the gentleman from georgia is recognized to close. mr. carter: in closing, i would like to encourage a yes vote and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass bill h.r. 1262 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri seek recognition? mr.smith: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4313 hospital inpatient services modernization act as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4313 a bill to

amend title 18 of the social security act to extend acute hospital care at home waiver flexibilities and require an additional study and report on such flexibilities. pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from missouri, mr. smith, and the lady from wisconsin, ms. moore, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from missouri. mr.smith: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on this bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr.smith: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of the hospital inpatient services modernization act introduced byways and means health subcommittee chairman, mr. buchanan and congressman dwight evans. one of the health care related

conversations that frustrates a lot of us around here is the typical year-end health care policy extender mess. the legislation before us takes the successful at home hospital program and removes it from that chaos and providing it with a renewed five-year authorization so more americans can receive care in the comfort and convenience of their home. hospital at home has been been embed end in the health care system. more than 400 hospitals in nearly 40 states have participated in the program, which has built a track record of improved patient outcomes. andin florida alone there are 23 hospitals participating in this program. hospital care provided at home cuts mortality rates, it reduces

the risk of falls and infections. and it lowers recovery times. it also can save cost versus expensive in-person hospital visits. it's no wonder that 99% of patients said they were satisfied with the program. at a ways and means committee hearing, we heard the incredible story of a hospital at home patient from north carolina named roy who was diagnosed with sepsis and initially treated in a hospital. there he was disturbed by beeping sounds, uncomfortable in the hospital gown and alone with no one able to visit him. his recovery was much better at home. he was able to sleep in his own bed and visit with friends and family. he also continued to receive the same level of care he would have otherwise received at the hospital. his recovery at home was rapid,

it was complete and without any infections. i represent one of the most rural districts in america. the long drives to a hospital faced by people living in small towns and remote areas can make seeking care prohibitive. hospital at home shrinks the physical distance, stopping rural patients from getting care. hospital at home has been a proven success for getting more americans the health care that they need. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from missouri reserves. the gentlelady from wisconsin is recognized. ms. moore: thank you mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the lady is recognized. ms. moore: well, i am really happy to see you, mr. chairman of the ways and means committee, and i'm certainly happy to support this five-year extension of the hospital at home program. which of course includes a

critical study to ensure additional information about the program and to hear so much about the success of this program as people experience it. you know, mr. speaker, the provisions as the previous speaker, mr. chairman, the chairman of the ways and means committee, has pointed out, they get extended every single year. i mean, sometimes it's short incements. sometimes they move -- increments. sometimes they move as a package, year-end kind of tax package. as a matter of fact, this was just extended in the continuing resolution that we just passed. it's been extended in previous funding bills and in previous funding bills before that. so i am so delighted to be here this evening to see that my republican colleagues are in the mood to extending current law. and i am just -- i would like to extend to them the opportunity

maybe to extend the affordable care act to the 24 million americans who are facing this unprecedented enormous health insurance premium hike, since we're extending health care stuff today. in my own state of wisconsin, mr. speaker, 279,000 people receive credits to help make insurance coverage affordable. and just say in my state, for a 60-year-old couple, mott yet he will -- not yet eligible for medicare, say they're earning $85,000 a year, they'll see their premiums increase by $23,281 a year. a family of four earning $133,000 a year will see their premiums increase by $14,000 next year. families are going to be asked to pay 20%, 30%, 40% of their income for health insurance premiums and the majority just

wants to ignore it. my constituents -- everybody's constituents, your constituents, mr. speaker, americans from coast-to-coast are going to be staring down these massive amounts of medical debt, massive insurance premiums, or the inability to access health care as they are unable to afford it and they just drop it. we have got to act. it's december 1. we've got to act. you know, i'm reminded, mr. speaker, of how fast the ways and means committee and the majority moved to give tax breaks to the wealthy. and when it comes to regular families, you know, we just don't seem to have the time. we could be doing that here on the floor now. instead of us -- not instead of, this is a marvelous bill we're passing today.

but i would much rather be spending the time securing the time for that purpose. you know, those hikes in health care premiums are not isolated, mr. speaker. they come on the heels of the one big, beautiful bill that slashed more than 10 million americans out of health care through the medicaid program. gutted over $1 trillion in medicare. and a half trillion dollars liability in the medicare fund. and hospitals will close and patients will suffer. and millions of american families will become uninsured. all because the majority is refusing to act. now, i'm telling you, mr. speaker, the majority, you are, sir, more than happy to make a whole host of tax breaks

permanent for the billionaire business class, but not for these entrepreneurs and families who are facing these tremendous hikes in their premiums. and this is part of a republican economy, i think. helping the billionaires, you know, just live along trickle-down, we're going to heap the costs on the middle class families from every angle. rising numbers are falling behind on their utility bills. there's a recent uptick in mortgage delinquencies and a rise in series delinquency rates for the first time in years. consumer bankruptcies are on the rise. up 15% just since last year. and what are we doing? well, we just passed a $4.3 trillion tax break

overwhelmingly for the wealthy. and what else did the majority do, sir? well, they found $40 billion for certain people in argentina. but no health care for american families. they found $300 million for a new gilded ballroom where the east wing of the white house used to be. and the ballroom keeps getting bigger and bigger so i can't describe the dimensions of it, sorry, mr. speaker. but it's going to be a marble -- have a marble bathroom in it, i think. and a fancy new patio. but no, no health care for families. and so we got electric prices, grocery prices, housing prices, half the people in my state who are renting, you know, are

paying more than 1/3 of their income for housing. you know, and these prices are going through the roof. and american families, unless they're billionaires, are struggling to stay afloat in this economy. and while president trump and his family use the white house to haul in billions of dollars to line their own pockets, people will not be able to access health care. so, while i support this bill, i object to how the majority and the president are making life worse for every single day for most americans and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the lady from wisconsin reserves. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. smith: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield as much time as i may consume to the gentleman from florida, mr. buchanan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized for as much time as he may consume.

mr. buchanan: thank you, mr. speaker. and thank you, mr. chairman, for your leadership on this topic. it's been key to what we've accomplished today. i rise today in strong support of my bill, the hospital inpatient service modernization act, which would allow hospitals to treat medicare patients safely at home. during the pandemic, c.m.s. established the hospital at home waiver to provide hospitals with the flexibility and care for patients from the comfort and the veents of their home -- convenience of their home. the hospital at home act has been very successful, being treated in many homes across the country, and it's also made a big difference in reducing risk of infections and falls. i'm thrilled to say that my bill extends the successful hospital at home program for an additional five years. i know a lot of people, being in florida where their parents will talk about the importance of if they can stay at home and i know this is critical.

an extension of this program would ensure more than 200 hospitals across 34 states, including 20 hospitals in florida, can continue to provide quality care to patients at home. more than 140 leading health care organizations, including hospitals' he, health care provs and patients, support this legislation. i would like to thank mr. smucker, mr. evans, and ms. moore for your friendship and bipartisanship on this bill. i want to thank leader scalise and whip emmer for bringing this to the floor tonight. i urge my colleagues to support the hospital at home program extension that provides and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida yields. the gentleman from missouri reserves. the qulaid from wisconsin is -- the lady from wisconsin is recognized. ms. moore: thank you, mr. speaker. i have no further speakers and so i am prepared to close.

mr. buchanan, mr. evans, i want to congratulate you on bringing forth this bill. i certainly agree with you that people do do better at home in many instances and ought to have this as an option. and i look forward to the study that is involved in this iteration of the bill, that will inform us about ways to improve the bill. i think that, you know, as we look at health care as a whole, it is one of those sort of broken markets that we have. we have 60% of folks that get health care through their employer or through the government or labor unions. we have another group of people who are disabled, that get health care. we have another group of people who are elderly, thank god, that get medicare.

but then there's the rest of us out there. and in a broken system of health care, we have to be concerned about those people. like, you know, we've talked a lot about children with cancer. you know, what if you're 27 and you have cancer? and you're not getting health care through an employer. you don't have one of them good government jobs, you're not elected to anything. what do you do? and so while we're passing legislation, i hope that before we adjourn we will not ignore the thousand-pound elephant in the room and that is the republican party standing in the way of doing it. and with that, mr. speaker, i would yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the lady from wisconsin yields the balance of her time. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. smith: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield so much time as he may

consume to the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. smucker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. smucker: thank you, mr. speaker. and i'd like to thank the chairman for moving this bill through ways and means and for having us consider this bill this evening. the hospital inpatient services modernization act, which is legislation led by my friend, congressman buchanan, i appreciate his leadership on this, and i was pleased to be able to support the effort as well, this bipartisan bill would enable hospitals to extend their hospital -- their successful hospital at home programs for another five years. the hospital at home model gives hospitals the flexibility to treat certain patients in the comfort and convenience of their own homes rather than in the hospital facility. over 31,000 patients received

acute-level care in their homes as of october, 2024, and studies show that hospital systems achieved savings of 19% regarding these patients who required a shorter average length of stay and used fewer unnecessary services. a number of hospitals in my district have used the hospital at home waiver to great effect. for for example one hospital has accepted more than 800 patients across all of their facilities, freeing up more than 1500 hospital bed days and saving $1.1 million. this is exactly the kind of program that we should be encouraging, which allow medical providers to innovate and provide better care for their patients, patients like being at

home as well and decreases cost over the long run. by extending the waiver by 5 years this would give hospitals the certainty they need to continue to build out these innovative care models and serve their patients after the disruption caused by the democrat shutdown. i encourage all of my colleagues to vote yes on this important legislation which is a clear win for patients and taxpayers. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania yields. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr.smith: i urge my colleagues to approve this legislation and i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4313 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on

the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri seek recognition? mr.smith: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5284 claiming age clarity act as amended. the clerk: union calendar number 283 h.r. 5284, a bill to require the social security administration to make changes to the social security terminology used in the rules, regulations or other materials of the administration pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from missouri, mr. smith, and the gentlewoman from wisconsin, ms. moore, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from missouri. mr.smith: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend tear reharks and submit extraneous material on

the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr.smith: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of the claiming age clarity act, bipartisan legislation introduced by the byways and means representatives smucker and beyer. it can be stressful without having to include needlessly terminology. millions collecting social security face confusing terms that make it that much harder to make informed decisions before one's financial future. under the legislation before us, the social security administration will be required to update the agency's language to make it clear and more straightforward.

this will ensure that americans do not accidentally claim benefits earlier than they should, are completely informed and don't potentially miss out on a substantial income during their retirement years. this is critical for the nearly 100,000 citizens link in representative smucker's district and 80,000 in representative beyer's district who are nearing retirement age today. it is why organizations like aarp, the bipartisan policy center and association of mature american citizens have come out in support of this bill which received overwhelming bipartisan support in the ways and means committee. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from wisconsin is recognized. mr. moore: i -- ms. moore: i rise in support of this claiming age clarity act.

and i would yield myself such time as i may consume, mr. speaker i rise in support of h.r. 5284 the claiming age clarity act and i do want to thank mr. smucker, mr. beyer and my colleagues for their leadership on this important legislation. as mr. smith has described this legislation, these changes will better help seniors understand the advantages and disadvantages of claiming of different ages. i certainly nope folks among my constituency shy who were faced with this confusion and this bill addresses that. but i want to quote mr. beyer who is not with us who is an author of this bill along with

mr. smucker and he noted in our committee report, and i quote, this bill doesn't solve the big picture on social security, which this committee presides over, nor does it fix the data privacy, customer service or staffing disaster that doge and this administration has put on this agency but it will help at the margins and i am glad that this mr. bilirakis: is seeing the light today, unquote. this bill passed the committee on ways and means with overwhelming bipartisan support. i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense legislation. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from wisconsin reserves. the gentleman from missouri is recognized.

mr.smith: i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. smucker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlemanis recognized mr. smucker: i thank the chair for yielding and thank the leader for bringing this bill to the floor. and ms. moore's right. there are serious questions about social security and sustainability going forward. i can tell you that republicans want to ensure that the promises that have been made by the american people will be able to be kept. we need to have that conversation that ms. moore talked about and make structural changes to the program. beneficiaries will not receive their full payments. it's time to have that discussion. but this does -- this provides information to individuals who are reaching retirement age to ensure that they have the best

information available to them as they make decisions about when to start benefits. today we use terms like early retirement age, that are confusing to people that i talk about and most beneficiaries don't fully understand how their claiming decisions will affect their monthly benefits. there are many seniors today who may be missing out on substantial retirement income because of sub optimal claiming decisions they made. that's where this act comes in. this bill, my bill, would change the terminology used by the social security administration to describe the different ages when an individual can begin to claim their benefits. this bill would refer to 62 as the minimum benefit age.

this is the age if you start social security then, that is the minimum benefit. full retirement age would be the standard benefit age and age 70 is referred to as the maximum. minimum, standard and maximum. i don't think it gets any simpler than that. this bill will help make -- help them make informed decisions when to begin their social security benefits. i thank mr. beyer for leading this effort with me. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr.smith: i have no further requests for time and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from missouri reserves. ms. moore: i have no further

speakers and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. moore: i think this is a commonsense bill. and i am so happy that our colleagues thought it appropriate to bring it forward to help older americans make better informed decisions. i have had friends who retired at age 62, thinking that would be a better time based on the misinterpretation of the language. so i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from wisconsin yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr.smith: i yield myself the remainder of my time. no american entering retirement should lose out on their

hard-earned retirement benefits because the administration failed to provide clear information in understandable terms. we need to make it easier, not harder for individuals to plan for retirement and the claiming age clarity act is a positive step in the right direction. representatives smucker and beyer are to be commended on a policy that will improve retirement security and ensure that the bureaucracy here in washington better serves american seniors. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 52284 as amended. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules

are suspended and the bill is passed. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri seek recognition? mr.smith: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5345 improving social security service to victims of identity theft act as amended. the clerk: union calendar number 312, a bill to amend title 7 of the social security act to provide for a single point of contact at the social security administration for individuals who are victims of identity theft pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from missouri, mr. smith, and the gentlewoman from wisconsin, ms. moore, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlemanfrom missouri.

mr.smith: i ask that members may have five legislative days to smith extraneous material on the bill under consideration. i yield myself such time as i may consume. in recent years, the theft and misuse of social security numbers has become a very serious problem in our country. in 2024 alone, there were over 3,000 reported data breaches and over of them included compromised social security numbers. for victims, the fallout can be overwhelming. instead of finding guyedance to deal with this stressful situation, too many folks are bounced from one office to another, receiving conflicting instructions and spending months trying to resolve what should be a straightforward issue. during a previous hearing of the

ways and means social security subcommittee, we heard directly from a month how a single point of fact at the social security office would have been beneficial to helping her dealing with the fallout of her's daughter's social security number being compromised. this isn't a bipartisan issue. this bill provides a simple and common life sense fix with a single point of contact with the social stuart number is loss or compromised. i urge my colleagues for their open legislation and david kustoff. thanks to his work victims of identity theft whose social security numbers have been compromised will get the help

they need. i reserve. ms. moore: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. moore: i support the improving social security service for victims identity theft act and this passed the ways and means committee with overwhelming bipartisan support. having a single i think having a single person to deal with at the social security office is common sense and it will enable a victim to unravel their problems a lot sooner. i just want to make note of the fact that like some other social security bills that are under consideration today, this bill does not fix the crisis that

this trump administration has inflicted on social security when it comes to data privacy and customer service. i mean, thumb drives went into our central data computers by doge employees, people who had not been confirmed by any senate or anything else, and our social security information was captured. captured indeed on thumb drives. and democrats are going to continue to fight to protect americans from having their personal social security information politicized or bought and sold to the highest bidder or their social security benefits put at risk. it is very, very frightening, so

frightening, mr. speaker, that, you know, as soon as our treasury secretary was brought into office, i wanted to know what doge was doing, where the information was going, i don't think we've had any conversations of any substance regarding the location of those data. and while this bill will have a modest but meaningful improvement to social security's customer service for victims of identity theft, i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote for this legislation but i want them to think more deeply about what we need to do in the atmosphere that we're in now to protect americans' social security data that was mined by doge. and with that, i would reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the lady from wisconsin reserves.

the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. smith: thank you. i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from tennessee, mr. kustoff. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. kustoff: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i want to thank our ways and means chairman, jason smith, not only for his strong leadership, but for his support on this important legislation. mr. speaker, every year more and more americans are having their identities stolen. it's a sad fact. bad actors are becoming more sophisticated, they're using new technology to gain access to sensitive information. just last year there were over 3,000 separate data breaches that were reported, many leaks involving stolen social security numbers. currently when somebody has their identity stolen, they've got to navigate kind of a

baffling process at the social security administration. the ways and means committee has heard from victims who describe the process of regaining their identities as a bureaucratic nightmare. it's complex, it's lengthy and it's frustrating. sometimes they report being passed from representative to representative, from department to department, sometimes they even get conflicting advice from people within the social security administration. as identity theft becomes more commonplace, the system at the social security administration needs to be streamlined to work better for the victims. the improving social security service to victims of identity theft act addresses this problem head-on. specifically this bill will establish a single point of

contact at the social security administration for americans who have had their social security numbers lost or stolen. mr. speaker, think of it as a one-stop-shop for those trying to protect themselves from identity theft having a single point of reference, one point of contact at the social security administration, will simplify the process, making it easier and faster for victims to get relief. this piece of legislation was passed favorably out of the ways and means committee with the strong bipartisan vote. mr. speaker, now it's time to act. in a bipartisan manner to support americans whose social security numbers fall in the wrong hands. and with that, mr. speaker, i thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee yields. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time and

we are prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from wisconsin is recognized. ms. moore: thank you, mr. speaker. and i have no further speakers and i yield myself the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the lady is recognized. ms. moore: i just want to enthusiastic my colleague for -- thank my colleague for introducing this very important piece of legislation. i'm always happy, as are other democrats on the ways and means committee, any initiative to protect our data, to protect it's secured, to protect people's privacy, and to streamline their ability to resolve their problem. i would hope that the authors of this legislation and the chairman of the committee would recognize that this will mean that they will have to

appropriate or stop taking the appropriations away from the social security administration. we've shut down scores of offices, many people have been fired, and that data and a.i. will not resolve the issue of having a single point of contact or a person to deal with. so i would just be -- i would just urge my colleagues to support this legislation. it did pass out of committee with a strong bipartisan vote and i hope that there's bipartisan interest in protecting our data, which, like i said, has been -- it's stored somewhere in the cloud and we don't know -- i hope that this urgency around protecting data will continue to be a priority

of the committee. and i would yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the lady from wisconsin yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i yield myself the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. smith: identity theft has become a major issue in our country. one of the main ways that bad actors exploit victims is through the misuse of their social security number. unfortunately when people contact the social security administration for help with a stolen or missing social security number, they're often met with red tape, waiting for callbacks, confusion and conflicting information. callers will get bounced around to multiple s.s.a. employees or have to go through different processes just to get the help that they need. this bill is sponsored by

representative kustoff, will make it easier for americans to resolve issues with stolen or missing social security numbers by providing them with a single point of contact at the s.s.a. i once again want to thank representative kustoff for his great leadership on this legislation and i urge my colleagues to vote yes. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5345, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri seek recognition? mr. smith: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5348, social

security child protection act of 2025, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 282. h.r. 5348. a bill to amend title 2 of the social security act, to provide for the reissuance of social security account numbers to young children in cases where confidentiality has been compromised. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from missouri, mr. smith, and the gentlelady from wisconsin, ms. moore, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from missouri. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. smith: thank you, mr. speaker. a lost or stolen social security number can cause a lifetime of

harm to american children. every year more than a million children become victims of identity fraud. current social security administration policymakers it extremely difficult for families to get a new social security number for a child. even when families know the original number was compromised through no fault of their own. previously the ways and means committee heard direct testimony from a mother who had to battle with the social security administration when her 1-month-old child's social security number was compromised. and she was denied a new number. this bill, the social security child protection act of 2025, sponsored by representative smucker, will help families when their child's social security number is lost or stolen.

it requires the s.s.a. to issue a new number to children under the age of 14 when the child's card has been compromised, versus sitting around and waiting for a malicious act to take place. this is a straightforward solution that will help protect children and families from fraud. i urge my colleagues to support this so we can continue to stand together to better safeguard the identities of american kids. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from missouri reserves. the lady from wisconsin is recognized. ms. moore: thank you, mr. speaker. and i yield myself as much time as i might consume. the speaker pro tempore: the laddie is recognized -- the lady is recognized. ms. moore: i certainly think that h.r. 5348, the social security child protection act of 2025, which passed the ways and means committee with overwhelming bipartisan support, deserves to be supported by this

body. as has been indicated, this legislation would direct the s.s.a. to issue a new social security number to a child under 14 if it was stolen in the course of being mailed. the current policy brings nothing but misery upon a child and a new family and i think that this is a commonsense effort to mend this grievous bureaucratic conundrum that parents would have to face. and with that i would reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the lady from wisconsin reserves. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. smith: i yield as much time as i may consume to the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. smucker: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to thank the chairman, mr. smith, for the opportunity to bring this up in committee

and for moving it out of committee and i'd like to thank the leader for bringing it to the floor for a vote. this is about helping kids. now, i know when we talk about social security we don't often think about kids. but remember, every child receives a social security number that follows them around for the rest of their life. and every year there are kids whose social security numbers are lost or stolen in the mail and exposed to fraudsters. now, because children don't open bank accounts, they don't apply for lines of credit, they don't seek employment, it can take them years to discover that their identity was stolen or to realize the effects of a stolen identity. but under current policy, even if the child is aware that the social security number was stolen, a child must become victimized by actual fraud before the social security administration will change their social security -- will give them a new number. that's ridiculous. now, if my bank issued a credit

card and i didn't receive it in the mail, they wouldn't send me another copy of the same card. they'd cancel the old one and send me a new card. why would we treat our children any differently? we shouldn't. that is why, mr. speaker, i ask my colleagues to vote for the social security child protection act. this bill would simply require that the social security administration issue a new, different social security number to a child under the age of 14 if the card has been lost or stolen while being issued to the child in the mail. it's a simple fix to protect our children, make the process of interacting with the social security administration easier, and i urge my colleagues to vote yes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania yields. the gentleman from missouri yields. mr.smith: we are prepared to close. ms. moore: i have no further speakers and am prepared to

close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. moore: i yield myself the balance of my time. you know, this is a commonsense bill and strengthen customer service for children whose social security card has been lost or stolen in the mail. while mr. smucker described this as a very simple commonsense bill, the importance of this demonstrates that on a bipartisan basis, we can solve problems. you always start with the little things and work yourself forward. i think providing greater customer service through the social security administration is a goal that has strong bipartisan support, i think that that really gives us the runway to do better things. and with that, i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from wirveg yields back. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr.smith: i yield myself the remainder. a mother testifying before the ways and means committee told us how it took, quote, hours of effort over months to protect her daughter from identity theft. and that quote, the threat will never completely go away unless she is assigned a new social security number. this mother had to battle with the s.s.a. after her infant daughter's social security number was compromised. unfortunately, this story is all too common for millions of americans who have had their social security numbers stolen or misused each year. by taking swift action today, we can prevent a lifetime of financial harm to american

children across the country. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5348 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. mr.smith: mr. speaker, on that, i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri seek recognition? mr.smith: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5346 fair and accountable i.r.s. reviews act as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 272 h.r. 5346 a bill to amend the internal revenue code to reform certain penalties and interest provisions. pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from missouri, mr. smith and the gentlelady from alabama, ms. sewell, each will control 20 minutes. mr.smith: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr.smith: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized

mr.smith: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of the fair and accountable i.r.s. reviews act introduced by representative grothman. while not a member of the ways and means committee, i know mr. grothman to be a tireless advocate for american taxpayers. as representative of this important piece of legislation that will go a long way towards protecting their rights. the legislation ensures that rogue i.r.s. employees are not unfairly to impose tax penalties and fines without going through proper channels on proper authorization. right now an i.r.s. agent can impose a penalty on an american taxpayer before obtaining a supervisor's approval. they can shop around with any

other employee at the agency that they wish to seek permission from since current law does not require direct approval from a direct supervisor. these loopholes undermine the no signature no penalty presume. representative grothman's bill received support at the ways and means committee. it is an important reform that will have enfairness from employees at the i.r.s. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady recognizes the dp gentlelady from alabama. ms. sewell: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of h.r. 5346, the fair and accountable i.r.s. reviews act. i want to thank the chairman, jason smith, for putting this bill on the floor and i want to thank him for always remembering

that it's better to do things in a bipartisan way. this bill clarifies procedures under section 6751 of the internal revenue code and fixes an ongoing controversy regarding tax penalties and i.r.s. supervisory aprovals. the i.r.s. restructuring and reform act of 1998 added section 6751 to the internal revenue code which says that certain tax penalties shall not be assessed unless the initial determination of the assessment is personally approved in writing by the immediate supervisor of the employee making the determination or a higher level official. this provision does not define when approval must be object taped or who is considered an

immediate supervisor. it has led to conflicting decisions regarding time of aprovals and regarding who at the i.r.s. can make such aprovals. due to this confusion, the national taxpayer advocate recommended that congress fix this provision. therefore, this bill clarifies that an i.r.a. employee must approve supervisory approval in writing before any written communication is sent to a taxpayer about certain proposed penalties and clarifies that an i.r.s. employee's supervisor is to whom the employee reports. this raises $117 million over the next 10 years. this bill passed the ways and means committee with overwhelming bipartisan support and i urge my colleagues to support this very important clarification bill.

i reserve the balance of my time. the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr.smith: i yield to the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. grothman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. grothman: i thank the previous speakers for their kind words and i would like to address this. for decades federal laws required before the i.r.s. can impose penalties and the agent must receive written approval from that agent's immediate supervisor. they are fairly and consistently and with appropriate. a supervisor's signature prevents the use of penalties and transparent record that helps the government in collection appeal proceedings. in recent years, a regulatory interpretation complicated the

intent of this longstanding statute. instead of adhering the requirement supervisory appeal could be object taped at any point in the process and it was broadend beyond congress' original intent. and they could seek approval from a wide range of individuals weakening the transparency and accountability the law was designed to designed to ensure. this restores clarity. and reaffirms that an agent's immediate supervisor must provide written approval ensuring proper oversight. this simple clarification strengthens the taxpayers' probings. and mr. speaker, americans deserve a tax system that is fair, predictable and transparent and this bill moves

us closer to that goal. and i charng fer thank the chairman and other members of the other side of the aisle who helped shoot it out of the committee on a bipartisan basis and for chairman's smith to strengthen fair and accountability within our tax system, thank you one more time. i urge my colleagues to support the bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yield back. the gentleman from missouri reserves. mr.smith: i am prepared to close. ms. sewell: i am prepared to close as well. ms. sewell: i yield myself the balance of my time, mr. speaker. h.r. 5346 is a commonsense bill that will help taxpayers and the courts. i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill, because not only is

it common sense but allow for more efficiency in our i.r.s. code. it is important that both sides of the aisle, democrats and republicans support an efficient and commonsense bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from alabama yields the balance of her time. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr.smith: i yield myself the remainder of my time. american taxpayers should not be at the mercy of rogue i.r.s. agents that are handing out fines. they ought to have prior approval before issuing a penalty and not be allowed going around looking for a sympathetic employee to grant them that approval. i thank representative grothman for introducing this legislation that puts in place some guardrails around the i.r.s. and

its agents. this bill will restore integrity and will protect the rights of american taxpayers whose interests we must continue to look out for. i encourage my colleagues to vote yes on the fair and accountable i.r.s. reviews ant. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house pass the bill. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri seek recognition? mr.smith: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r.

5349, tax court improvement act as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5349, a bill to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to improve services provided to taxpayers by the internal revenue service by providing greater judicial review pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from missouri, mr. smith, and the gentlelady from alabama, ms. sewell, each will control 20 minutes. mr.smith: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr.smith: i yield myself such time as i may tsunami consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr.smith: i rise in support of the tax court improvement act, bipartisan legislation introduced by representatives more than ann and sewell.

as a former judge, congressman moran knows how to protect americans' legal rights and due process and i appreciate his leadership on this issue. this bill strengthens taxpayer rights during judicial proceedings before the u.s. tax court. the court will be able to more expeditiously resolve cases as the legislation enhances the efficiency of its judicial review to the benefit of the taxpayer. this will increase the court's productive and tax court judges will also be held to the same disqualification standards as other judges. finally, the court will now the court will have the ability to extend taxpayer deadlines where timely filing is impractical. the u.s. tax court is the only venue where taxpayers can dispute a tax estimate without

first paying that tax. taxpayers must stand on equal footing when going toe to toe with the i.r.s. without the guarantee of rights, taxpayers are put in a situation where the i.r.s. is essentially saying, heads, i win, tails, you lose. i ask my colleagues to stand with american taxpayers and support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from missouri reserves. the lady from alabama is recognized. ms. sewell: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the lady is recognized. ms. sewell: thank you, chairman smith, for bringing this bill to the floor. i rise in support of h.r. 5349, the tax court improvement act, which passed the ways and means committee with overwhelming bipartisan support. i would like to thank my co-sponsor and colleague, mr. moran of texas, for his leadership and working with me

on this important legislation. i also want to thank the gentleman from texas for the smoked turkey he sent to several members of our committee. the tax court has a very important impact on everyday americans. it provides individuals and businesses with an opportunity to be heard in court and challenge the internal revenue service before paying a disputed tax. our committee is always looking for ways to make the tax court more efficient and fairer for the taxpayer and that is why we are here today. the tax court improvement act will strengthen the tax court procedures and practices by making four commonsense reforms. the act will accelerate the collection of documents, expand the types of cases assigned to special trial judges, hold tax court judges to the same recusal standards as other federal judges, and allow the deadline

for petitions to be extended in certain circumstances. these improvements to the tax court will have a tangible impact on thousands of taxpayers and it will raise $6 million over the next 10 years. given the importance of the tax court, i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this important legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. smith: i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from texas, mr. moran. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. moran: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in strong support of the tax court improvement act. this taxpayer-friendly bill significantly improves the critical tax court process available to americans who find themselves in a dispute with the i.r.s. i want to thank specifically representative terri sewell who joined me in co-authoring this bill, and for recognizing that taxpayers deserve a court process that is clear, timely,

efficient and just. her work on this bill reflects our joint commit nlt to the people that -- commitment to the people that we serve. for too long the tax court has operated under pre-existing rules that do not mirror many of the well-established procedures for other courts. and rules that are antiquated in their application. in short, changes needed to be made so that the tax court process works better for the people that it serves. when a system is slow or confusing, the burden falls on taxpayers, often at moments when they're already under stress. but this bill provides practical updates that help the court do its job more effectively and helps taxpayers find resolution more easily and quickly. first, this bill modernizes the court's subpoena requirement. today if someone is subpoenaed to produce documents before the tax court, they must show up in person. this wastes time, adds expense and clogs an already full docket. other courts already allow down thes to be submitted -- allow documents to be submitted at

times without requiring a physical appearance. this bill like wise gives the tax court the same commonsense flexibility, allowing judges to decide when someone truly needs to appear in person. second, the bill helps the court address its growing case backlog. it does this by allowing special trial judges who are experienced legal professionals who already handle much of the court's work to take on additional responsibilities with the consent of the taxpayer. if the taxpayer agrees, these special trial judges can hear certain additional mat, issue -- matters, issue decisions and use limited contempt authority to maintain order. this is similar to how magistrate judges currently assist federal court district judges to streamline their dockets, when the consent of the parties exists. this result -- the result is simple. faster resolutions for taxpayers without sacrificing expertise on the bench, fairness in the process, or integrity in the result. third, the bill strengthens public trust by creating clear

ethical standards for tax court judges. article 3 judges already have statutory recusal rules. currently tax court judges do not. codifyiing disqualification requirements ensures that taxpayers know that their case will be heard by a judge who is impartial and above reproach. this change helps to take away any impro pryity in the process, giving way to the soundness of the final judgment. finally, this legislation clarifies the court's authority to use equitable tolling in efficiency cases. today if a taxpayer misses a filing deadline, even due to illness, natural disaster, or even being given incorrect information, the court often has no ability to offer relief to that taxpayer. cases can be dismissed before the merits are even heard, putting taxpayers at risk for losing their claim when they are not at fault for missing the deadline. and that is not a just result. this bill ensures the court can make determinations based on the

substantive claims, not just procedural technicalities. especially when a taxpayer is acting in good faith. taken together, these reforms make the tax court more efficient, more responsive and more just for the american taxpayer. they reflect these values that guide our work in the chamber. strong institutions, fair treatment for taxpayers, and renewed trust in government processes. this is a measured, practical bill that passed unanimously in committee and it deserves the support of this house on both sides of the aisle. i urge my colleagues to vote for the tax court improvement act, to help strengthen a court process that plays a vital role in protecting our taxpayers' rights and ensures accountability of the i.r.s. within our tax system. thank you and i yield back. ms. sewell: i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. sewell: i yield myself the remainder of my time in. support of hrment r. -- time.

in support of h.r.5349 is the fact that we want more commonsense, bipartisan efforts to modernize our tax court system. at its heart, this bill strengthens taxpayer rights and removes unnecessary procedural roadblocks. specifically it authorizes the tax court to issue subpoenas before hearings. that means third parties can be compelled to produce relevant documents, electronic records and other evidence early, facilitating settlements, reducing the need for protracted litigation and helping to resolve disputes sooner rather than later. this bill also expands the role of special trial court judges, allowing them to hear additional cases and act when they are -- when there are issues such as contempt.

thereby helping to clear backlogs and improving the court's overall input. it holds tax court judges and special trial judges to the same ethical and disqualification standards as other federal judges, ensuring transparency and integrity in every case. this bill also clarifies that the tax court has the jurisdiction to grant equitable tolling in deficiency cases. in other words, the court can expand and extend deadlines when timely filings were impossible and impractical to make. these reforms aren't radical, they are commonsense improvements designed to deliver timely justice, lower court costs and greater access for everyday americans, small businesses and those who currently face intimidating and burdensome procedures. in a system where there are high stakes for individuals, families and entrepreneurs, there is

nothing uncommon or unreasonable about expecting a fair shot, swift resolution and procedures that reflect modern realities. that is exactly what h.r. 5349 delivers. passing this legislation is a statement that we believe in a tax system where accountability, transparency and due process matter. not just for the wealthy or well-connected, but for all americans. i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support h.r. 5349 and deliver on commonsense tax court reforms. i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the lady from wisconsin yields back. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i yield myself the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. smith: the ways and means committee has been working tirelessly to strengthen taxpayer rights. this year alone the committee has approved several pieces of legislation, giving taxpayers

fairer treatment. the tax court improvement act is another one of these solutions. the i.r.s. is the most feared federal agency for good reason. but we are working to change that. in addition to pursuing partisan aims, it has a long, dowmghted history of treat -- documented history of treating taxpayer rights as mere suggestions. this bill will give taxpayers more confidence and greater protections when litigating their case before the u.s. tax court. i want to thank congressman moran and congresswoman sewell for championing taxpayer rights. this bill received total support in the ways and means committee and i urge all my colleagues to do the same here in the house. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the railroads and pass the bill -- suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5349, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no.

in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: for

what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 225, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 164. h.r. 225. a bill to require the inspector general of the department of housing and urban development to testify before the congress annually and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from ohio, mr. davidson, and the gentlewoman from california, ms0 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio. mr. davidson: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. davidson: i yield myself such time as i may consume, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 225, the h.u.d. transparency act. i want to thank the gentlewoman from texas, congresswoman de la cruz, for sponsoring this legislation. the h.u.d. transparency act of

2025 is a piece of commonsense legislation that strengthens accountability, enhances oversight and ensures the american people have a clear view into how federal housing dollars are spent. for years the department of housing and urban development, h.u.d., has administered programs that touch millions of families, seniors, veterans and communities across our nation. these programs are crate cal they, support -- critical, they support housing affordability, combat homelessness and help communities recover after disasters. unfortunately the agency has shown time and time again they are unable to perform some basic functions. the agency continually fails to hold local public housing authorities responsible for providing safe housing. reports from the inspector general, the government accountability office, and our own committee have repeatedly identified some of the same issues, outdated and incomplete reporting, inconsistent and unverifiable data, missed deadlines and major programs operating without clear evidence

of effectiveness. as the branch with the power of the purse, it is congress' responsibility to ensure tax dollars that go toward h.u.d.'s programs are managed effectively, efficiently and transparency -- transparently. h.r. 225 delivers on that responsibility. this bill requires the office of the inspector general of the department of housing and urban development to annually testify before congress so that we can ensure the department is meeting its performance reporting and management standards. by requiring the h.u.d. by requiring h.u.d.'s inspector general it makes h.u.d. to report program outcomes in a timely manner and make the data available so congress can ensure federal housing programs are meeting their goals. the h.u.d. transparency act is a straightforward solution to long-standing problem. h.u.d. needs to use format so

they can track progress over time and ensures that the american people can see how their tax dollars are being used. these are basic principles. transparency strengthens public trust and allows congress to address problems early instead of after tax dollars have been wasted or once in need have been left behind. this bill does so without imposing new burdens on state and local governments without slowing down assistance. this ensures that h.u.d. operates with the openness and accountability that the american people deserve and i urge my colleagues to support it. the speaker pro tempore: the lady from california is recognized. ms. waters: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of h.r. 2225,

the h.u.d. transparency act of 20 sponsored by representative de la cruz. this is a core function, inspectors general also play a critical role in providing transparency about the functions of government as well as holding government officials accountable and they are able to do this because they are independent of the officials they oversee and until recently while only removed for cause. however since taking office president trump has fired 25i.g.'s. the majority of these firings took place in the first week president trump took office and violated lawful removal procedures as they came with no warning or rationale. in fact the trump administration

has kept more than three n-4 official appointed positions without senate confirmed leadership. these actions not only silence future i.g.'s but leave the public less informed about activities happening across agencies and dangerously, trump's actions combined with house leadership who are unwilling tore investigate anything trump's team does enables the trump administration to be entirely unaccountable. notably, the h.u.d. inspector general this bill would require to testify before our committee was one of the people trump arbitrarily fired earlier this year. and since that firing, the acting h.u.d. i.g. has been

replaced again and there is no one being considered by the senate for confirmation. as a result, no one in this chamber knows when our committee will be able to receive this testimony. that said, and while i support this bill, this debate ignores the real and urgent challenges facing h.u.d. and our housing market and how the president and his administration are actively taking steps to undermine efforts to address the affordable housing crisis. for example, where is the legislation from my republican colleagues to stop trump's plan to gut supportive housing that could force more than 170,000 people back on the streets. 20 states and d.c. have already sued h.u.d. citing the plan as chaotic and unlawful or where

are their investigations into the director of the federal housing finance agency who is weaponizing the housing giants for politically motivated witch hunts and trying to lock new home buyers into 50 year mortgages. if republicans wanted to lower housing costs why aren't they calling to exempt lumber from trump's tariffs or why aren't we negotiating the road to housing bills so it can be included in the ndaa and quickly passed into law. the invitation to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle is open. join us in finally taking steps to address the rising costs of housing. the american public wants us to lower their bills and democrats have numerous ideas.

join us in ensuring that the h.u.d. inspector general has the independence to do their job without fear of retaliation when they uncover corruption or abuse of power. so, we will join you in passing this bill today, but we need to get to work to deliver real change for the american people. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from ohio. daiferredz daiferredz i'm including the congressional budget office to this bill. i yield two minutes to the gentlewoman two minutes. ms. de la cruz: thank you to my colleague for yielding. i rise in support of my bill h.r. 225, the h.u.d. transparency act of 2025. this commonsense legislation

requires annual testimony from the department of housing and urban development's inspector general. by doing so the act adds formal oversight over h.u.d. that does not currently exist. in the past, congress has gone years without hearing from h.u.d.'s inspector general. and with a budget exceeds $70 billion, we must have proper oversight over h.u.d. to ensure housing programs are working for all americans. that being said, my bill will require that inspector general to provide congress with recommendations and insights into programs and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in our federal spending. housing issues impact all

americans. i commend this administration for their focus on restoring the american dream of home ownership by bringing down housing costs and cutting red tape. our h.u.d. programs play a critical role in increasing the supply and access nationwide. however, the success of the program relies on the ability to root out the waste, fraud and abuse. this aids in this by adding critical oversight that they can receive the housing assistance that they need. this legislation has a strong record of bipartisan -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for 30 seconds. ms. de la cruz: this has a

strong record of strong support including passage in the house in the 118th congress. as that legislation continues to receive overwhelming bipartisan support, i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in passing this important piece of legislation, the h.u.d. transparency act of 2025. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio reserves. ms. waters: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close if the the gentlemanfrom ohio has no further speakers. mr. davidson: i am prepared to close. ms. waters: i yield myself the balance of the time. h.u.d. provides safe and affordable housing to families across the united states. families depend on hud programs

to keep a roof over their heads. this would allow congress and the public to hear directly from an independent oversight authority provided one is ever confirmed and offer more transparency into the h.u.d. i again urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the lady from california yields back-t the gentleman from ohio is recognized. davids daiferredz i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion in of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed

and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? mr. davidson: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4423 as amended. the clerk: union calendar number 202, h.r. 4423, a bill to continue the pause and disbursements and new financing commitments to the government of burma pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from ohio, mr. davidson and gentlelady from california, ms. waters, each will control 20 minutes. daiferredz davids i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill. i rise in support of h.r. 4423 the no new burma funds act.

i thank the gentlewoman from from georgia. i am pleased to note this bill passed the committee 54-0 in july. that kind of agreement underscores the serious of the threat posed by burma. the no new burma funds act ensures that they will impose new bank financing that will confirm their junta and support international efforts to restore government governs. congress has fought to hold burma's military and support the burma's people to restore their rightful voice. despite global condemnation, the

acting government of burma continues to entrench its power exploit state resources and all while seeking access to new streams of international financing. this responds to this challenge by ensuring that the eunts will vote at the world bank to maintain a strict pause on new financing commitments to the current government in control of burma. smorting human rights and stability are in our american interests. when institutions enable new regimes, our credibility suffers and by reaffirming and strengthening this pause, this provides a responsible and targeted approach that prevents

funds from benefiting the current government and maintains the pressure applied in the 2022 cue -- coupe. supports the long-term prospects of peace in burma. i thank the bill's sponsor in standing with the people of burma. i encourage my colleague to say that the united states will not allow brutal dictatorship in burma. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. waters: i yield two minutes to the gentlelady two minutes. >> i rise in support the bipartisan no new burma funds act. this bill i introduced with my colleague would mandate that the

united states use its voice and vote and new financing commitment to the government of burma. this pause was initiated after a coupe elected the government of burma in 2021. four years ago, the national league for democracy was overthrown. since the coupe, we have seen families displaced and citizens without access to income and brutal violence against the i am fighting for i center for those less marginalized. i'm sure we can have a robust conversation making sure everyone is housed with affordable housing in my district and lowering costs in this country. today this bill is still centering my constituents. in my district alone, decab

county is home to two million burmese refugees. i once was a teacher and had a student who was from burma. and he is a stark reminder to help those no matter their zip code but to help those no matter where they are on the globe. this gives us a tool to put on the burmese government. this ensures the director at world bank to push the institution to continuities pause on the disbursement of funds and financial commitments to the government and incentivizing the government to give power back to the people. thank you for co-leading this legislation with me, byung kim, and chairman hill and waters for this priority. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. davidson: i'm including in the record the c.b.o. estimate for this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. david: i yield two minutes to the gentlewoman, mrs. kim. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. kim: thank you for yielding. i rise in support of h.r. 4423, the no new funds for burma act. this bill would suspend disbursements and financing from the international bank for reconstruction and development to burma until the treasury secretary identifies a meaningful change in regime and restoration of democratic values. in february 2021, the democratically elected members of burma's government were disposed by the military junta. as we approach nearly five years since the